Irregular verbs and past participles

Irregular verbs do not follow the 'ed' rules for forming the past simple or past participle:

 

'walk' + 'ed' = walked [regular verb] 

 

Some irregular verbs stay the same in all forms, others change a vowel and some change completely. Some verbs have two possible forms; the difference might be regional or a personal choice, sometimes depending on whether we are speaking or writing. It is important to choose the correct one if the choice depends on different meanings or transitive and intransitive forms. If in doubt, check in a good dictionary.

 

Where a verb has two meanings and one meaning has regular form, this is included in the list for comparison.

 

 

Note that the list does not include all compound verbs because they follow the same rules as the root verb. For example:

 

Bare Infinitive

Past Simple

Past Participle

eat/overeat

ate/overate

eaten/overeaten

do/undo

did/undid

done/undone

 

 

Bare Infinitive

Past Simple

Past Participle

arise

arose

arisen

awake

awoke/awakened

awoken/awakened

babysit

babysat

babysat

be

was, were

been

bear

bore

born/borne

beat

beat

beaten

become

became

become

befall

befell

befallen

begin

began

begun

behold

beheld

beheld

bend

bent

bent

bet

bet

bet

bid [farewell]

bid/bade

bid/bidden

bid [offer amount]

bid

bid

bind

bound

bound

bite

bit

bitten

bleed

bled

bled

blow

blew

blown

break

broke

broken

breed

bred

bred

bring

brought

brought

broadcast

broadcast/broadcasted

broadcast/broadcasted

build

built

built

burn

burnt/burned  

burnt/burned

burst

burst

burst

buy

bought

bought

cast

cast

cast

catch

caught

caught

choose

chose

chosen

cling

clung

clung

clothe

clothed 

clothed/clad** 

come

came

come

cost

cost

cost

creep

crept

crept

cut

cut

cut

deal

dealt

dealt

dig

dug

dug

dive 

dived/dove

dived

do

did

done

draw

drew

drawn

dream

dreamt/dreamed

dreamt/dreamed

drink

drank

drunk

drive

drove

driven

dwell

dwelt/dwelled

dwelt/dwelled

eat

ate

eaten

fall

fell

fallen

feed

fed

fed

feel

felt

felt

fight

fought

fought

find

found

found

fit 

fitted/fit 

fitted/fit 

flee

fled

fled

fling

flung

flung

fly

flew

flown

forbear

forbore

forborne

forbid

forbade

forbidden

forecast

forecast

forecast

foresee

foresaw

foreseen

forget

forgot

forgotten

forgive

forgave

forgiven

forsake

forsook

forsaken

freeze

froze

frozen

get

got

got/gotten

give

gave

given

go

went

gone [not returned]/been [returned]

grind

ground

ground

grow

grew

grown

handwrite

handwrote

handwritten

hang [execute]

hanged 'They hanged a killer.'

hanged

hang [other uses]

hung     'They hung a picture.'

hung

have

had

had

hear

heard

heard

hide

hid

hidden

hit

hit

hit

hold

held

held

hurt

hurt

hurt

input

input/inputted

input/inputted

keep

kept

kept

kneel

knelt/kneeled

knelt/kneeled

knit

knitted/knit

knitted/knit

know

knew

known

lay

laid

laid

lead

led

led

lean

leant/leaned 

leant/leaned 

leap

leapt/leaped 

leapt/leaped 

learn

learnt/learned 

learnt/learned 

leave

left

left

lend

lent

lent

let

let

let

lie [not tell the truth]

lied

lied

lie [recline]

lay

lain

light

lit/lighted

lit/lighted

lose

lost

lost

make

made

made

mean

meant

meant

meet

met

met

mislay

mislaid

mislaid

mislead

misled

misled

mistake

mistook

mistaken

mow

mowed

mowed/mown*

offset

offset

offset

outbid

outbid

outbid

overcome

overcame

overcome

partake

partook

partaken

pay

paid

paid

prove

proved

proved/proven

put

put

put

quit

quit 

quit

read

read [sounds like 'red']

read [sounds like 'red']

rid

rid

rid

ride

rode

ridden

ring

rang

rung

rise

rose

risen

run

ran

run

saw

sawed

sawed/sawn*

say

said

said

see

saw

seen

seek

sought

sought

sell

sold

sold

send

sent

sent

set

set

set

sew

sewed

sewed/sewn*

shake

shook

shaken

shave

shaved

shaved/shaven**

shear

sheared

sheared/shorn*

shed

shed

shed

shine [make shiny]

shined 'He shined his shoes.'

shined

shine [emit light]

shone/shined 'The sun shone.'

shone/shined

shoe

shod

shod

shoot

shot

shot

show

showed

showed/shown*

shrink

shrank

shrunk

shut

shut

shut

sing

sang

sung

sink

sank

sunk

sit

sat

sat

sleep

slept

slept

slide

slid

slid

sling

slung

slung

slit

slit

slit

smell

smelt/smelled 

smelt/smelled 

sneak

sneaked/snuck

sneaked/snuck

sow

sowed

sowed/sown*

speak

spoke

spoken

speed

sped/speeded

sped/speeded

spell

spelt/spelled 

spelt/spelled 

spend

spent

spent

spill

spilt/spilled 

spilt/spilled 

spin

spun/span

spun

spit

spit/spat

spit

split

split

split

spoil

spoilt/spoiled

spoilt/spoiled

spread

spread

spread

spring

sprang/sprung

sprung

stand

stood

stood

steal

stole

stolen

stick

stuck

stuck

sting

stung

stung

stink

stank/stunk

stunk

strew

strewed

strewn/strewed

stride

strode

stridden

strike

struck

struck

string

strung

strung

strive

strove/strived

strived/striven

swear

swore

sworn

sweat

sweated/sweat

sweated/sweat

sweep

swept

swept

swell

swelled

swelled/swollen 

swim

swam

swum

swing

swung

swung

take

took

taken

teach

taught

taught

tear

tore

torn

tell

told

told

think

thought

thought

thrive

thrived/throve

thrived/thriven

throw

threw

thrown

thrust

thrust

thrust

tread

trod

trodden/trod

troubleshoot

troubleshot

troubleshot

understand

understood

understood

undertake

undertook

undertaken

uphold

upheld

upheld

upset

upset

upset

wake

woke

woken

wear

wore

worn

weave

wove

woven

wed

wed/wedded

wedded/wed*

weep

wept

wept

wet

wet/wetted 

wet/wetted 

win

won

won

wind

wound

wound

wring

wrung

wrung

write

wrote

written

 

*      Both forms can be used for perfect tenses but the second is preferred for passives.

**     The second form is only used for passives.