Simple past: irregular verbs

What are Irregular Verbs?

There are about 200 irregular verbs in English. We can divide these into four types:

1. Verbs which have the same base form, past simple and past participle
2. Verbs which have the same past simple and past participle
3. Verbs which have the same base form and past participle
4. Verbs which have a different base form, past simple and past participle

A good way to learn irregular verbs is to study them in these groups because as they are similar they’re easier to remember. Here are the most common irregular verbs in these groups.

For example:

“Our car cost a lot of money but it’s always breaking down.”

“Pasha hurt himself in a soccer match last weekend.”

“My parents have let me stay out late tonight.”

“They put on their jackets because it was very cold.”

For example:

“They had lunch at a Thai restaurant on Monday.”

“Have you heard the news about the train strike?”

“Tim has sent an email to all the suppliers.”

“Who won the match?” – “The Giants.”

For example:

“He came back home at 4 a.m. on Saturday.”

“Suzi has become the Managing Director.”

“The dog ran into the garden after Lee opened the door.”

“Has Mrs. O’Connor come back from lunch yet?”

For example:

“The kids ate a lot of cakes at the party.”

“They drove to the airport and left their car there.”