Verbs in the English language can be classified into irregular and regular verbs based on how their past tense forms are created. Let’s explore how to form the past tense of irregular verbs.
This article focuses on irregular verbs in the English past tense. If you are interested in regular verbs in the English past tense, we have compiled them into a separate article. Similarly, we have also written a general article on verbs in the English past tense.
Irregular verbs in the English past tense
Irregular verbs can be categorized into different groups based on the endings they have in their past tense forms. Let’s divide some irregular verbs into groups:
Group 1 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ay” and past tense ends in “id”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Say | Said |
| Pay | Paid |
Group 2 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ee” and past tense ends in “ew”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| See | Saw |
Group 3 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ow” and past tense ends in “ew”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Grow | Grow |
| Know | Know |
In this special article you will learn about the past tense of the verb READ.
Group 4 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ight” and past tense ends in “ought”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Fight | Fought |
| Buy | Bought |
| Think | Thought |
Group 5 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ind” and past tense ends in “ound”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Find | Found |
Group 6 – irregular verbs base form ends in “ell” and past tense ends in “elt”
| Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Tell | Told |
Here are several instances of irregular verbs categorized into groups according to the endings of their past tense forms. It is crucial to remember that irregular verbs do not adhere to a uniform pattern, and each verb typically has a distinct past tense version. Thus, it is vital to learn each irregular verb separately to ensure their proper usage in sentences constructed in the past tense.
TOP irregular verbs
What is the simple past tense and its applications
The simple past tense is a grammatical construction that denotes actions, events, or conditions that happened in the past. It’s a fundamental verb tense in English, enabling us to convey actions or circumstances that are finished and took place previously.
The past tense is applied in numerous contexts
Explaining past actions
The main function of the past tense is to describe actions or events that occurred previously. For instance:
-
- She walked to the store.
- They played soccer yesterday.
- I studied for the exam last night.
Describing past events
In storytelling or when sharing previous experiences, the past tense is employed to detail events that have occurred. This use helps establish a timeline and order of events. For instance:
-
- Once upon a time, there lived a princess.
- Last summer, we traveled to Europe and visited several countries.
Discussing former habits or routines
The past tense is used to describe actions or habits that were consistently carried out in the past but might not be practiced anymore. For instance:
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- I used to play the piano when I was younger.
- Every morning, he went for a run.
- We always had dinner together as a family.
Describing past facts or events
The past tense is frequently utilized to relay information about past events, scientific findings, or past news. For example:
-
- The Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
- Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.
- The company announced a new product last week.
By employing the past tense, we set a temporal framework and communicate that an action or event occurred prior to the present time. This tense enables us to articulate finished actions and assists in creating a distinct timeline in English communication.
It’s essential to recognize that regular verbs typically adopt their past tense form by appending “-ed” to their root form, whereas irregular verbs possess distinctive past tense forms that must be learned by heart. Maintaining tense consistency is vital, and mastering the correct use of the past tense will improve your communication skills in both oral and written English.
Examples of past simple sentences
More examples:
- 5 examples of sentences of simple past
- 10 examples of simple past tense
- 20 examples of simple past tense
- 100 examples of simple past tense
- Other examples of sentences of simple past
- Verbs in Past simple
- Differences: Present Perfect and Past Simple
- Past Simple Negative form
- Past simple affirmative negative and interrogative structure