The English language has a large number of irregular verbs. In the great majority of these, the past participle and/or past tense is not formed according to the usual patterns of English regular verbs. Other parts of the verb — such as the present 3rd person singular -s or -es, and present participle -ing — may still be formed regularly.
Most irregular verbs exist as remnants of historical conjugation systems. What is today an exception actually followed a set, normal rule long ago. When that rule fell into disuse, some verbs kept the old conjugation.
I will group irregular verbs into some groups by some common signs:
- The first group includes indefinite, past simple and past participle which are all different.
indefinitive past simple past participle be was/were been do did done go went gone lie lay lain saw sawed sawn see saw seen show showed shown sow sowed sown
-ew -own/-awn subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle blow blew blown draw drew drawn fly flew flawn grow grew grown know knew known throw threw thrown
-ear -ore -orn subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle bear bore born swear swore sworn tear tore torn wear wore worn
-i- -a- -u- subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle begin began begun drink drank drunk ring rang rung shrink shrank shrunk sing sang sung sink sank sunk spin span spun spring sprang sprung swim swam swum
ablaut subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle arise arose arisen bite bit bitten break broke broken choose chose choosen drive drove driven eat ate eaten fall fell fallen forbid forbade forbidden forget forgot forgotten freeze froze frozen give gave given ride rode ridden rise rose risen shake shook shaken speek spoke spoken steal stole stolen strive strove striven swell swelled swollen take took taken tread trod trodden write wrote written
- The second group contains verbs with equal indefinite, past simple and past participle forms.
* pronunciationindefinitive past simple past participle burst x 3 cast x 3 cost x 3 hit x 3 hurt x 3 let x 3 put x 3 read read [red]* read [red]* set x 3 shed x 3 shut x 3 split x 3 spread x 3
- The third group consists of verbs with two equal forms.
indefinitive past simple past participle beat beat beaten (be)come (be)came (be)come build built x 2 flee fled x 2 get got x 2 hang hung x 2 have had x 2 hear heard x 2 hold held x 2 lead led x 2 leave left x 2 lose lost x 2 make made x 2 run ran run sell sold x 2 shine shone x 2 sit sat x 2 slide slid x 2 spit spat x 2 stand stood x 2 teach taught x 2 tell told x 2 understand understood x 2 win won x 2
-end -ent subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle bend bent x 2 lend lent x 2 send sent x 2 spend spent x 2
-ught subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle bring brought x 2 buy bought x 2 catch caught x 2 fight fought x 2 seek saught x 2 think thought x 2
-eep -ept subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle creep crept x 2 keep kept x 2 sleep slept x 2 sweep swept x 2 weep wept x 2
-vvc -vc subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle bleed bled x 2 breed bred x 2 feed fed x 2 meet met x 2 shoot shot x 2 speed sped x 2
-ay -aid subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle lay laid x 2 pay paid x 2 say said x 2
-i- -u- subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle cling clung x 2 dig dug x 2 fling flung x 2 stick stuck x 2 sting stung x 2 strike struck x 2 swing swung x 2
-ind -ound subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle bind bound x 2 find found x 2 grind ground x 2 wind wound x 2
-c -ct subgroup: indefinitive past simple past participle burn burnt x 2 deal dealt x 2 dwell dwelt x 2 kneel knelt x 2 mean meant x 2
- A verbs of the fourth group can be regular or irregular:
indefinitive past simple past participle awake awoke/awaked awoke/awaked broadcast broadcast/broadcasted broadcast/broadcasted dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed lean leant/leaned leant/leaned leap leapt/leaped leapt/leaped learn learnt/learned learnt/learned light lit/lighted lit/lighted smell smelt/smelled smelt/smelled spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled spoil spoilt/spoiled spoilt/spoiled wake woke/awaked woke/awaked
