In English, most verbs are the action that is going on in a sentence. Most regular verbs are turned into the past tense, showing the action is finished, by adding '-ed' to the end of a base form of the verb. Let's look at an example with 'to jump' ('jump' is the base form of 'to jump'):
Irregular past tense verbs are verbs that are formed in a different way that does not fit the '-ed' pattern. Some are easier than others:
Sometimes irregular past tense verbs are very difficult. Even after teaching the difference of 'lie' and 'lay', many times teachers still have to look up the correct irregular past tense before writing it!
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Let's take the verb 'to be' for example. In the present, past, present plural, and past plural, 'to be' is formed as follows:
| Present | Past | Present Plural | Past Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am | I was | we are | we were |
| you are | you were | you are | you were |
| he/she is | he/she was | they are | they were |
English is a mixture of influences from Old English, Latin, Greek, German, French, and Scandinavian languages. With so many languages and grammar systems, there are irregular parts of grammar, like irregular past tenses.
In fact, while there are thousands of verbs in English, there are several hundred irregular past tense verbs. However, some of them are rarely used.
Let's take a look at some of the more common irregular past tense verbs that you may come across. First we'll say the present tense version, then the past tense before moving on:
| Present Tense | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| buy | bought |
| come | came |
| do | did |
| fly | flew |
| get | got |
| go | went |
| have | had |
| keep | kept |
| pay | paid |
| run | ran |
| see | saw |
| sleep | slept |
| take | took |
| tell | told |
| think | thought |
The best way to learn irregular past tense verbs is through practice. It might help to keep an irregular past tense verb chart at first. However, the best way, especially when writing, is to take the time to look up the correct form. After using the verb several times, it should become easier.
For many people, even native English speakers, some irregular past tense verbs are confusing even after a lifetime of use. Let's take 'lie' and 'lay:'
Lie (to rest or recline)
Many people avoid this verb by saying other verbs like 'rest' or 'sleep:'
Lay (to put something down)
Many people avoid this verb by saying 'put:'
Irregular past tense verbs are past verbs that do not take the standard '-ed' form, like jump/jumped. Out of thousands of English verbs, there are only several hundred irregular past tense verbs that are regularly used. At first, it helps to keep an irregular past tense form chart but the best way to remember these verbs is with practice.
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