Regular and Irregular Verbs

The distinction between regular verbs and irregular verbs is a very simple one:

REGULAR VERB

Those verbs that form their past participle with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ are regular verbs. These verbs do not undergo substantial changes while changing forms between tenses.

1.   If the verb ends with a vowel, only ‘d’ is added. For example:

PRESENT TENSE	PAST TENSE
Share	Shared
Scare	Scared
Dare	Dared

PRESENT TENSE	PAST TENSE
Want	Wanted
Shout	Shouted
Kill	Killed

2.   If the verb ends with a consonant, ‘ed’ is added. For Example:

accept add admire admit advise afford agree alert	allow amuse analyse announce annoy answer apologise appear	applaud appreciate approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask	attach attack attempt attend attract avoid
back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe battle beam	beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink blot blush boast	boil bolt bomb book bore borrow bounce bow box brake	branch breathe bruise brush bubble bump burn bury buzz
calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase cheat check cheer chew	choke chop claim clap clean clear clip close coach coil collect colour comb command communicate	compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse connect consider consist contain continue copy correct	cough count cover crack crash crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle
dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay delight	deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop disagree disappear	disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt drag drain dream	dress drip drop drown drum dry dust
earn educate embarrass employ empty encourage	end enjoy enter entertain escape examine	excite excuse exercise exist expand expect	explain explode extend
face fade fail fancy fasten fax fear fence	fetch file fill film fire fit fix flap	flash float flood flow flower fold follow fool	force form found frame frighten fry
gather gaze glow glue	grab grate grease greet	grin grip groan guarantee	guard guess guide
hammer hand handle hang happen harass	harm hate haunt head heal heap	heat help hook hop hope hover	hug hum hunt hurry
identify ignore imagine impress improve include	increase influence inform inject injure instruct	intend interest interfere interrupt introduce invent	invite irritate itch
jail jam	jog join	joke judge	juggle jump
kick kill	kiss kneel	knit knock	knot
label land last laugh launch	learn level license lick lie	lighten like list listen live	load lock long look love
man manage march mark marry match mate	matter measure meddle melt memorise mend mess up	milk mine miss mix moan moor mourn	move muddle mug multiply murder
nail name	need nest	nod note	notice number
obey object observe	obtain occur offend	offer open order	overflow owe own
pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal peel peep perform	permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play please plug point poke polish	pop possess post pour practise pray preach precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend	prevent prick print produce program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push
question	queue
race radiate rain raise reach realise receive recognise record reduce reflect	refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax release rely remain remember remind	remove repair repeat replace reply report reproduce request rescue retire return	rhyme rinse risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush
sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter	shiver shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak	soothe sound spare spark sparkle spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start stay steer step stir stitch	stop store strap strengthen stretch strip stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer suggest suit supply support suppose surprise surround suspect suspend switch
talk tame tap taste tease telephone tempt terrify test thank	thaw tick tickle tie time tip tire touch tour tow	trace trade train transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip	trot trouble trust try tug tumble turn twist type
undress unfasten	unite unlock	unpack untidy	use
vanish	visit
wail wait walk wander want warm warn wash	waste watch water wave weigh welcome whine whip	whirl whisper whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder	work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle
x-ray
yawn	yell
zip	zoom

IRREGULAR VERB

Those verbs that undergo substantial changes when changing forms between tenses are irregular verbs. The changed forms of these verbs are often unrecognisably different from the originals. For example:

V1 Base Form	V2 Past Simple	V3 Past Participle
awake	awoke	awoken
be	was, were	been
beat	beat	beaten
become	became	become
begin	began	begun
bend	bent	bent
bet	bet	bet
bid	bid	bid
bite	bit	bitten
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast	broadcast
build	built	built
burn	burned/burnt	burned/burnt
buy	bought	bought
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
cut	cut	cut
dig	dug	dug
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamed/dreamt	dreamed/dreamt
drive	drove	driven
drink	drank	drunk
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
fly	flew	flown
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
freeze	froze	frozen
get	got	got (sometimes gotten)
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
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
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
learn	learned/learnt	learned/learnt
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
put	put	put
read	read	read
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
show	showed	showed/shown
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sit	sat	sat
sleep	slept	slept
speak	spoke	spoken
spend	spent	spent
stand	stood	stood
swim	swam	swum
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
win	won	won
write	wrote	written

There is no way to tell what form an irregular verb is going to take in a changed tense; the only option for an English speaker is to commit the changes to memory. With practice, it will become a matter of habit.