Home   »   English Grammar   »   Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs: Meaning, List, Get Top 200 Words PDF in English

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard rules of conjugation in the past tense and past participle forms. Unlike regular verbs, which typically add “-ed” to create these forms, irregular verbs change in unpredictable ways. For example, “go” becomes “went” in the past tense, and “sing” becomes “sang.” These verbs are common in English and must be memorized individually, as there is no consistent pattern to follow. Understanding and mastering irregular verbs is crucial for fluency in both spoken and written English, as they appear frequently in everyday communication.

Irregular Verbs

Verbs that deviate from the typical patterns for tense and past participle are known as irregular verbs. While irregular verbs each have their own distinct past tense forms and past participles, most regular verbs in English utilize the ending “-ed” for both.

Because they are all a little bit different, irregular verbs are one of the most challenging components of the current English language. English speakers are forced to memorize each one, along with their unique verb forms because there is no method.

Irregular Verbs in English

You may say that irregular verbs “follow their own rules” as verbs. Regular verbs form the past tense and past participle by adding “-ed” or “-d” in accordance with modern English grammatical conventions. However, irregular verbs utilise entirely unique words for their many verb forms when they are the primary verb of a phrase. (A quick reminder: The form used with the present perfect tense is the past participle.)

Let’s “dance” and “sing” to demonstrate what we mean. It’s easy to observe the differences between these two verbs: “dance” is a regular verb, whereas “sing” is an irregular verb.

There’s no huge secret or method to conjugating the verb “dance;” you simply follow the same procedure as with the majority of other verbs. You only need to add “-ed,” or in this example merely “-d,” as the base form already ends in “e,” to produce both the simple past tense and past participle forms.

Base Simple Past Tense Past Participle
dance danced danced

But because “Sing” is irregular, the conventional guidelines don’t apply. Since “singed” is the wrong form of this verb, you cannot use it. Instead, “sing” contains a singular past participle as well as a singular past tense. It is necessary to memorize the unique forms of “sing” in order to know how to conjugate it.

Base Simple Past Tense Past Participle
sing sang sung

In actual practice, you finish with the conjugations:

  • We sang and danced all night. 
  • I have sung opera before, but I have never danced to it. 
  • She prefers music sung by professionals. 

No matter whether the verb is regular or irregular, the simple present tense is conjugated the same way. This includes ending the third-person singular form with a “-s” or “-es.” Be mindful that some exceptions, such as the verb “be,” also have unique present tense forms.

Base Present Tense Simple Past Participle Past Participle
be am, is, are was, were been

Many additional linking verbs, like “become” and “feel,” are irregular, just like “be.” Additionally, irregular verbs can still be used as imperative verbs even if they are transitive or intransitive.

How Many Irregular Verbs in English?

In English, there are more than 200 irregular verbs. Some of the most frequently used verbs in the language, such as “to be,” “to have,” and “to say,” are included in this list.

Because some verb conjugations are worded differently in British and American English, the latter actually includes more irregular verbs.

For instance, in American English, “to spell” is a regular verb, and the past tense is “spelled,” whereas in British English, “to spell” is an irregular verb, and the past tense is “spelt.”

List of Irregular Verbs PDF

Irregular Verbs List and Examples PDF

Top 200 Irregular Verbs List

Top 200 Irregular Verbs List is given below, Lets check and understand.

Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
arise arose arisen
awake awoke awoken
be was/were been
bear bore born(e)
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bind bound bound
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
breed bred bred
bring brought brought
broadcast broadcast broadcast
build built built
burn burnt/burned burnt/burned
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
can could … (been able)
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
cling clung clung
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got got
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
lean leant/leaned leant/leaned
learn learnt/learned learnt/learned
leave left left
lend lent lent
lie (in bed) lay lain
lie (to not tell the truth) lied lied
light lit/lighted lit/lighted
lose lost lost
make made made
may might
mean meant meant
meet met met
mow mowed mown/mowed
must had to
overtake overtook overtaken
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
saw sawed sawn/sawed
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewn/sewed
shake shook shaken
shall should
shed shed shed
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
smell smelt smelt
sow sowed sown/sowed
speak spoke spoken
spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled
spend spent spent
spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled
spit spat spat
spread spread spread
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank stunk
strike struck struck
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swollen/swelled
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weep wept wept
will would
win won won
wind wound wound
write wrote written

Irregular Verb Examples

Irregular verbs are also referred to as powerful verbs. Here are nine examples that are more commonly used than the others. These nine irregular verbs are also some of the most employed words used in the English language.

  • Think
  • Make
  • Take
  • Come
  • Know
  • Go
  • Get
  • Say
  • See

Irregular Verbs- Best Way To Learn And Remember

If English is your first language, you probably already know which verbs are irregular. Most kids see these trends without consciously realizing it.

There is no simple strategy for remembering how to use irregular verbs if you are teaching or learning English. Since each one is unique, learning them on purpose is the only way to master them.

You can learn these terms by using a variety of techniques.

Use of flash cards is one practical strategy. You can learn all the irregular verbs in the table in less than a month if you practice 10 to 15 of them daily.

With each new irregular verb you learn, it’s a fantastic idea to practice writing your own example sentences. In this manner, you can begin to develop a mental image of how these verbs sound in the past tense.

Related Post
Verb Forms Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Modal Verbs Auxiliary Verbs

 

Sharing is caring!

FAQs

What guidelines apply to irregular verbs?

The basic answer is that a verb is irregular if you can't simply add "-ed" or "-d" to the end to transform it to past tense.

Why are they known as irregular verbs?

Verbs that deviate from the typical patterns for tense and past participle are known as irregular verbs.

How many different irregular verb types are there?

In English, there are roughly 200 irregular verbs. These fall under one of four categories: Verbs with the same base form as the past participle and past simple. the same past simple and past participle verbs.

Is it crucial to understand irregular verbs?

The distinction between regular and irregular verbs must be understood in order to know when to use each one.

An irregular past tense verb is what?

a verb for which the traditional -ed ending is not used to generate the past tense.

What are irregular verbs, exactly?

"A verb that does not follow the conventional rules of grammar" is what is meant by an irregular verb.

About the Author

Hi there, I am Ashish and have completed my education from Science Domain. I have 2 years of experience in content creation, catering to the demands of young students. I provide written content related to NEET, JEE, Board Exams, CLAT, CUET (UG & PG) and management exams in a simple manner. My content provides important insights on several topics in depth.