Instructions
Some verbs are irregular. Their past forms do not end in -ed.
So how do I know which verbs are regular and which are irregular?
You have to learn them!
Learn them from the list? Oh no!
It's not so bad. There aren't really so many verbs to learn and remember that English is much easier than many languages. The past forms don't change.
I took a taxi to the airport. (take → took)
That was when we spoke. (speak → spoke)
One person gave me his last bar of chocolate. (give → gave)
I see what you mean. I made, you made, he made, she made, it made, we made, they made!
Exactly! They're all the same. And the negatives are all formed with did + not + the infinitive without to. The question forms are very similar: did + subject pronoun + the infinitive without to.
What did you do all day in the airport?
Did you have enough food?
We didn't think you would get home in time for your birthday.
OK, you're right, that's not too bad. Are there any exceptions?
Yes the verb to be. The past form is was for I, he, she and it, but were for you, we and they.
It was horrible not being able to phone you two!
There wasn't any food. I was so hungry!
We were stuck in the airport.
So what about this verb list?
Right, here it is!
| Present | Past Simple | Present | Past Simple |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was / were | begin | began |
| break | broke | bring | brought |
| build | built | buy | bought |
| catch | caught | choose | chose |
| come | came | cost | cost |
| cut | cut | do | did |
| draw | drew | drink | drank |
| drive | drove | eat | ate |
| fall | fell | feel | felt |
| fight | fought | find | found |
| fly | flew | forget | forgot |
| freeze | froze | get | got |
| give | gave | go | went |
| have | had | hear | heard |
| hold | held | hit | hit |
| keep | kept | know | knew |
| learn | learnt | leave | left |
| lead | led | let | let |
| lie | lay | lose | lost |
| make | made | mean | meant |
| meet | met | pay | paid |
| put | put | read | read |
| ride | rode | run | ran |
| say | said | see | saw |
| sell | sold | send | sent |
| set | set | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sit | sat |
| sleep | slept | speak | spoke |
| spend | spent | stand | stood |
| steal | stole | swim | swam |
| take | took | teach | taught |
| tell | told | think | thought |
| understand | understood | wake | woke |
| wear | wore | win | won |
| write | wrote |
Wow! OK, so how do I learn these verbs?
There are lots of things you can try:
- Make cards to test yourself – put the infinitive on one side and the past on the other.
- Write sentences with different verbs in them. Include some negatives.
- Make up stories and record yourself. The story could just be about what you did last weekend.
- Do practice activities online. You can start by doing the ones below on this page!
OK, I'm going to start learning them now!
Worksheets and downloads
Transcript
Discussion
Have you ever been stuck in some terrible weather?
Comments
I remember last year I went to mountain with friends to see top of view .We started climbing the mountain at Saturday morning with some food and water.On the way we stuck in strong tyhpoon. It was dangerous for us .We stopped climbing the mountain on the way.I went to cottage .We spend few hour .after that typhoon was gone .We continued climbing the mountain.
i wrong 2 question :[
One time when I and my family had to go on a skiing holiday, the weather that bad plains couldn't fly anywhere. So we had to wait few days until the snow melts...
I only been stuckk on rain, One day my friends and I went to buy some stuffs for a project when we came back to my home a terrible rain fall in the city and we didn't have money for thata reason we had to came back walking and we got wet and we had a flew for a few days but it was very funny
The truth that I live in a country that does not have the four seasons, ie no snow falls in my country, neither makes cold nor very great storms, although in the province that I live is too cold and almost always rains, then the climates in which I always get caught in the rain, and it rains a lot all day, so I'm almost always trapped in a bad weather hahaha, although it is not so much like in other countries that terrible storms, that destroy houses or flood places. And for that I am very grateful.
When I was in Japan, I've been stuck typhoon weather.
No, luckly
No, luckly
This is reallt helpful, I think I know everything now for so far, that you very much it was really helpful! Great website!
I remember when I was a kid, we went to trip (my family and me) we started our trip at early morning...on the way we stuck in morning fog...It was terrible!!! my dad was driving but he couldn't see the front!!! he stopped the car on the roadside, we stayed there for a few hours...when fog disappeared, we continued our trip.
I once had a flight from Hong Kong to Chicago and there was a typhoon. Our flight was delayed 5 hours and we had a 3 hour ground stop. Many people were stuck at the airport.
Sometimes
No thank God
no I have not
Yes but my father came in field and save me
No, luckly, I've never been stuck in some horrible weather, and I wish I'll never be!!!
Me, either!
((((･ิ(･ิω(･ิω･ิ)ω･ิ)･ิ))))
yesI have
I like Grammer Snacks. It's helpful.
The video is nice and the lesson is helpful too.
Hi there
i want to thank all the staff for this great website
i was looking for this useful lessons for along time
and i'm so glad because most of my answers are correct :)
Hi Roby666. Thanks for your comment! It makes us very happy to hear that you find our site useful :) Please keep on visiting LearnEnglish Teens and let us know what you like on here. Good luck with your studies!
Jonathan (LearnEnglish Teens Team)
I've never been stuck in a terrible weather. Sometimes I must shelter from the rain when I lose my raincoat or I have problem with my old motorbike.
I learnt irregular verbs last year so I know all verbs from this table. Thanks British Council for all these exercises. They are very helpful.
British council learn english teens is very good. This site helped me for learn english
This exercise helped me.It is the best site to learn English.
it will be easy if we learn the rules for irregular verbs
How can I download this video?
Hi Tanna,
Sorry, but for copyright reasons you are not allowed to download our Grammar videos.
Best wishes, Jo (LearnEnglish Teens Team)
its nice video, poor mum...
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