From Wikigogy

Most of the time, irregular verbs are learned alphabetically. On a direct test, students confuse one verb with the other. This can be prevented easily by pointing out that there are certain types of irregular verbs. This learning aid can help to see the similarities (classes) and learn the verbs that way. Now, all students need to do, is remember what type of irregular verb it is and they will know the right answer. With this aid, you still need an alphabetical (or random) list for students to test themselves, but this is provided in most books.
It would also be good to encourage students to construct these classifications themselves. Nothing works better for learning than repetition: looking at something, thinking about it, writing it down, etc.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Important issues about irregular verbs 3 All three similar 3.1 No change, all the same 3.2 Add –(e)n 4 The d and t 4.1 d turns t 4.2 Add a –t 4.3 Add a –d 5 Vowel change only 5.1 i/u – a – u 5.2 a/i – u - u 5.3 i – ou – ou 5.4 Long – short - short 5.5 Other vowel changes 6 Vowel change and more 6.1 Long – short – short and add a –t 6.2 o and o-(e)n 6.3 i - o and i-(e)n 6.4 e and -(e)n 6.5 Other vowel change (to a or oo) and –(e)n 6.6 ought/aught 7 Other changes

[edit] Introduction

Irregular verbs are those verbs that don't follow the normal rules for past tense and the past participle. Past tense is the way to say something happened before now. The past participle is used for several things, it mainly signals that the action started in the past and ended in the past. It can also be used as an adjective.
With regular verbs the past tense and past participle are made by adding -(e)d.

• I walked yesterday. I have walked enough.
• Last year, we planned our trip to London. Since then, we have planned many more exciting vacations.
• He opened his mail. The mail was opened.
• the bottled water (past participle as adjective).

[edit] Important issues about irregular verbs

• Vowel change: in a lot of irregular verbs, the middle vowel changes from i to o, from a to e, from i to u, or from a long to a short vowel.
• Adding an n: it's rather common to add an -n for the past participle.
• Adding a -t or -d: for both past tense and past participle.

These types can be combined, see below.

[edit] All three similar

[edit] No change, all the same

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
beat	beat	beat	Past participle also ‘’beaten’’. Also: browbeat
bet	bet	bet	in cards and auction, etc.
bid	bid	bid	Also: outbid
burst	burst	burst
bust	bust	bust	Also: busted / busted
cast	cast	cast	Also: broadcast, forecast, overcast and recast
cost	cost	cost
cut	cut	cut
fit	fit	fit	Not in the meaning of tailoring
hit	hit	hit
hurt	hurt	hurt
knit	knit	knit	Also: knitted / knitted
let	let	let
put	put	put	Also: input
quit	quit	quit
read	read	read	Also misread and proofread
rid	rid	rid
set	set	set	Also: inset, reset and upset
shed	shed	shed
shit(e)	shit	shit	Also: shat / shat, shitted / shitted, and shited / shited
shut	shut	shut
slit	slit	slit
spread	spread	spread
thrust	thrust	thrust
wed	wed	wed	Also: wedded / wedded
wet	wet	wet	Also: wetted / wetted

Only read is pronounced differently in past tense and as past participle

[edit] Add –(e)n

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
bite	bit	bitten
chide	chid	chidden	Also: chided / chided. Past tense also chode
hew	hewed	hewn
hide	hid	hidden
mow	mowed	mown	Past participle also mowed
prove	proved	proven
rid	rid	ridden	Also: ridded / ridded. Past participle also rid
saw	sawed	sawn
shave	shaved	shaven	Past participle also shaved
show	showed	shown	Past participle also showed
strew	strewed	strewn	Past participle also strewed

[edit] The d and t

[edit] d turns t

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
bend	bent	bent
build	built	built	Also: rebuild
lend	lent	lent
rend	rent	rent
send	sent	sent
spend	spent	spent

[edit] Add a –t

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
burn	burnt	burnt	Also: burned / burned
deal	dealt	dealt
dream	dreamt	dreamt	Also: dreamed / dreamed
dwell	dwelt	dwelt	Also: dwelled / dwelled
lean	leant	leant	Also: leaned / leaned
leap	leapt	leapt	Also: leaped / leaped
learn	learnt	learnt	Also: learned / learned
mean	meant	meant
smell	smelt	smelt	Also: smelled / smelled
spell	spelt	spelt	Also: spelled / spelled. Also: misspell
spill	spilt	spilt	spilled
spoil	spoilt	spoilt	spoiled

[edit] Add a –d

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
have (has)	had	had
hear	heard	heard	Also: mishear and overhear
lay	laid	laid	Also: mislay, overlay, re-lay and waylay
make	made	made	Also: remake
pay	paid	paid	Also: overpay, repay and underpay
say	said	said
shoe	shoed	shoed	Also: shod / shod

[edit] Vowel change only

[edit] i/u – a – u

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
begin	began	begun
drink	drank	drunk	Past participle also drank
ring	rang	rung
run	ran	run	Also: overrun and rerun
shrink	shrank	shrunk	Past tense also shrunk
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
spin	span	spun
spring	sprang	sprung	Past tense also sprung
swim	swam	swum

[edit] a/i – u - u

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
cling	clung	clung
dig	dug	dug
fling	flung	flung
hang	hung	hung	Not for the meaning to kill. Also: overhang
sling	slung	slung
slink	slunk	slunk
sting	stung	stung	Past tense also stang
stink	stunk	stunk	Past tense also stank
string	strung	strung
swing	swung	swung
wring	wrung	wrung

[edit] i – ou – ou

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
bind	bound	bound	Also: rebind and unbind
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
grind	ground	ground	Not for the meaning of dancing
wind	wound	wound	Also: rewind and unwind

[edit] Long – short - short

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
bleed	bled	bled
breed	bred	bred	Also: interbreed
cleave	cleft	cleft	Also: clove / cloven and cleaved / cleaved
feed	fed	fed	Also: spoon-feed
flee	fled	fled
lead	led	led	Also: mislead
plead	pled	pled	Also: pleaded / pleaded
shoot	shot	shot	Also: overshoot
slide	slid	slid
meet	met	met
speed	sped	sped	Also: speeded / speeded
stand	stood	stood	Also: misunderstand, understand and withstand

[edit] Other vowel changes

Type	Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
e – o – o	get	got	got	Past participle also gotten
o – a – o	come	came	come	Also: become and overcome
o – e – e	hold	held	held	Also: behold, uphold and withhold
i – a – a	sit	sat	sat
i – a – i	spit	spat	spit	Past tense also ‘’spit’’
i – o – o	win	won	won

[edit] Vowel change and more

[edit] Long – short – short and add a –t

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
creep	crept	crept
feel	felt	felt
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt	knelt
leave	left	left
lose	lost	lost
reave	reft	reft	Also: bereave
sleep	slept	slept	Also: oversleep
sweep	swept	swept
weep	wept	wept

[edit] o and o-(e)n

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
awake	awoke	awoken
bear	bore	born(e)
break	broke	broken
choose	chose	chosen
freeze	froze	frozen
get	got	gotten	Also: forget
shine	shone	shone	Also: shined / shined
sew	sowed	sown	Past participle also sowed
speak	spoke	spoken
steal	stole	stolen
swear	swore	sworn
tear	tore	torn
tread	trod	trodden	Also: treaded / treaded. Past participle also trod
wake	woke	woken
weave	wove	woven	Also: interweave
wear	wore	worn

[edit] i - o and i-(e)n

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
ride	rode	ridden	Also: override
rise	rose	risen	Also: arise
rive	rove	riven	Past tense also rived
smite	smote	smitten
stride	strode	stridden	Also: strided / strided
strive	strove	striven	Also: strived / strived
write	wrote	written	Also: rewrite and underwrite
thrive	throve	thriven	Also: thrived / thrived

[edit] e and -(e)n

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
blow	blew	blown
draw	drew	drawn	Also: overdraw and withdraw
fall	fell	fallen	Also: befell
fly	flew	flown
grow	grew	grown	Also: outgrow
know	knew	known
shear	sheared	shorn	Past participle also sheared
slay	slew	slain
swell	swelled	swollen	Past participle also swelled
throw	threw	thrown	Also: overthrow

[edit] Other vowel change (to a or oo) and –(e)n

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
beget	begat	begotten
bid	bade	bidden	In the meaning of request/say. Also: forbid
eat	ate	eaten	Also: overeat
give	gave	given	Also: forgive
lie	lay	lain	Not in the meaning of not telling the truth. Also: overlie
see	saw	seen	Also: foresee and oversee
forsake	forsook	forsaken
shake	shook	shaken
take	took	taken	Also: mistake, overtake, partake and undertake

[edit] ought/aught

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
bring	brought	brought
buy	bought	bought
catch	caught	caught
seek	sought	sought	Also: beseech
teach	taught	taught
think	thought	thought	Also: rethink
work	wrought	wrought	More common: worked / worked

[edit] Other changes

Verb	Past tense	Past participle	Comment
be	was (were)	been
can	could	(none)
dive	dove	dived	Past tense also dived
do	did	done	Also: outdo, overdo, redo and undo
go	went	gone	Also: forego, forgo and undergo
light	lit	lit	Also: lighted / lighted
may	might	(none)
sell	sold	sold	Also: resell, outsell and oversell
shall	should	(none)
sneak	snuck	snuck	Also: sneaked / sneaked
strike	struck	struck
tell	told	told	Also: foretell
underlie	underlaid	underlaid	Also: underlied / underlied
will	would	(none)