This is a list of irregular verbs in the English language.
Past tense irregular verbs[edit]
For each verb listed, the citation form (the bare infinitive) is given first, with a link to the relevant Wiktionary entry. This is followed by the simple past tense (preterite), and then the past participle. If there are irregular present tense forms (see below), these are given in parentheses after the infinitive. (The present participle and gerund forms of verbs, ending in -ing, are always regular. In English, these are used as verbs, adjectives, and nouns.) In the case of modal verbs the present and preterite forms are listed, since these are the only forms that exist.
Forms Of Verbs List With Hindi Meaning
The right-hand column notes whether the verb is weak or strong and whether it belongs to a subclass, and links to descriptions elsewhere. Information about the development of these verbs generally can be found at English irregular verbs; details of the etymology and usage of specific verbs can be found by consulting Wiktionary.
In some cases, there are two or more possibilities for a given form. In the table, the preferred or more common usage is generally listed first, though for some words the usage is nearly equal for the two choices. Sometimes the usage depends on the dialect. In many cases, such as spell (spelt vs. spelled), learn (learnt vs. learned), and spill (spilt vs. spilled), American English normally uses the regular form, while British English tends to favor the irregular. In other cases, such as dive (dived vs. dove) and sneak (sneaked vs. snuck), the opposite is true. Australian, New Zealand and South African English tend to follow the British practice, while Canadian English often sides with the American usage.
The table includes selected archaic or dialectal forms, marked * (some of these forms may also be present in specialist uses).
Present tense irregular verbs[edit]
Though the list of verbs irregular in the preterite or past participle is long, the list of irregular present tense verbs is very short. Excepting modal verbs like 'shall', 'will', and 'can' that do not inflect at all in the present tense, there are only four (only two if pronunciation is ignored):
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_English_irregular_verbs&oldid=891096153'
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Dozens and dozens of English verbs have irregular past tense forms, as well as irregular past participles. If you are studying English grammar you may want to memorize the common irregular past and past participles listed here. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are common verbs English speakers use every day.
Lucky for you, English present participles, except for the occasional change from the letter y to the letter i, are fairly straightforward. Just add ing.
If you have questions about a particular verb, check your dictionary. In the following table, the first column is the infinitive form of the verb. (The infinitive is the “to + verb” form — to laugh, to cry, to learn grammar, and so on.) The second column is the simple past tense. The third column is the past participle, which is combined with has (singular) or have (plural) to form the present perfect tense. The past participle is also used with had to form the past perfect tense.
The verb 'to be' is one of the shortest and most important—yet oddest—verbs in the English language. It is an irregular verb; indeed, it is the only verb in English that completely changes form in every tense. The verb 'to be' is probably the most important verb in English. It can be used in simple statements such as:
The 'to be' verb can also be used to express complex thoughts: It is the verb at the very core of one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, Hamlet, where the title character speaks the famous line: 'To be, or not to be.' ('Hamlet,' Act 3, Scene 1) Hamlet was asking whether it is better to be dead or alive, or in other words, whether to exist or not exist.
At heart, that's what the 'to be' verb connotes: a state of being or existence. It's a very common verb, but it's important to learn how to use it properly.
'To Be' as a Linking, Transitive, or Auxiliary Verb
Before conjugating the verb 'to be' in the present and past forms, it's important to understand what this verb does. The verb 'to be' is is a stative verb: It refers to the way things are—their appearance, state of being, and even their smell. 'To be' or 'be' can be a linking verb: It joins the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that tells something about the subject, such as in these examples:
'To be' can also be an auxiliary—or helping—verb: It works with the main verb, as in these examples:
'To be' can also be a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object, either a direct or an indirect object. An example would be: 'Sue is talking.' In the sentence, the 'to be' verb, 'is,' takes a direct object, 'talking.'
Present Tense
The present tense of the verb to be, as with any verb, can take several forms: the indicative or simple present, present perfect, and present continuous.
The tables below show how to conjugate to be in these forms:
Note that even in the indicative—or simple—present tense, the verb changes in the first, second, and third person uses.
Present Perfect
The present perfect, formed by combining has or have with a past participle, usually a verb ending in -d, -ed, or -n, indicates actions or events that have been completed or have happened in the present.
Examples of the present perfect include:
To correctly use the verb in the present perfect, just remember that only the third-person singular uses 'has.' All of the other forms in this tense use 'have.'
Present Continuous
The present continuous, also known as the present progressive, is generally used to express something happening at the moment.
An example sentence might be: 'That course is being taken by a number of students.' Notice how the 'to be' verb changes depending on the person—first, second, or third—as well as the number, singular or plural.
There's no easy trick to learning which form of 'to be' to use here. Just remember, the first person, singular requires 'am,' second person requires 'are,' and 'third-person singular requires 'is.' Fortunately, all the plural forms use 'are.'
Past Simple
Past simple indicates that something happened at some specific time in the past, such as: 'Her house was built in 1987.'
Note that the past singular requires 'was' for the first and third person, while 'were' is used with a second-person pronoun. All forms are the same—'were'—for the plural tenses.
Past Perfect
The past perfectindicates actions or events that have been completed or have happened in the past.
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Some examples include:
A List Of English Verbs
Peter had been to the post office presumably only once before they arrived, and the person being addressed in the second sentence had 'been in town' for a specific time period before 'he called.'
Past Continuous
The past continuous is usually used to refer to events happening at the same time that something important was occurring.
An example of the past continuous in a sentence would be: 'The ideas were being discussed while the decisions were being made.' In this case, the past continuous is used twice to highlight how one action was taking place at the same time as another: Ideas 'were being' discussed at the same time decisions 'were being' made.
Other Present and Past Uses
'To be' can also be used in other ways in the present and past tense, such as:
A copular 'to be' verb is essentially a transitive verb, except that the object is a phrase or clause rather than a single word. In this case, the 'to be' verb, am, links the subject 'I' with the description of the subject, (a person who is) 'sometimes late for work.'
The verb 'to be' is one of the shortest and most important—yet oddest—verbs in the English language. It is an irregular verb; indeed, it is the only verb in English that completely changes form in every tense. The verb 'to be' is probably the most important verb in English. It can be used in simple statements such as:
The 'to be' verb can also be used to express complex thoughts: It is the verb at the very core of one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, Hamlet, where the title character speaks the famous line: 'To be, or not to be.' ('Hamlet,' Act 3, Scene 1) Hamlet was asking whether it is better to be dead or alive, or in other words, whether to exist or not exist.
At heart, that's what the 'to be' verb connotes: a state of being or existence. It's a very common verb, but it's important to learn how to use it properly.
'To Be' as a Linking, Transitive, or Auxiliary Verb
Before conjugating the verb 'to be' in the present and past forms, it's important to understand what this verb does. The verb 'to be' is is a stative verb: It refers to the way things are—their appearance, state of being, and even their smell. 'To be' or 'be' can be a linking verb: It joins the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that tells something about the subject, such as in these examples:
'To be' can also be an auxiliary—or helping—verb: It works with the main verb, as in these examples:
'To be' can also be a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object, either a direct or an indirect object. An example would be: 'Sue is talking.' In the sentence, the 'to be' verb, 'is,' takes a direct object, 'talking.'
Present Tense
The present tense of the verb to be, as with any verb, can take several forms: the indicative or simple present, present perfect, and present continuous.
The tables below show how to conjugate to be in these forms:
Note that even in the indicative—or simple—present tense, the verb changes in the first, second, and third person uses.
Present PerfectCommon Forms Of Be Verbs
The present perfect, formed by combining has or have with a past participle, usually a verb ending in -d, -ed, or -n, indicates actions or events that have been completed or have happened in the present.
Examples of the present perfect include:
To correctly use the verb in the present perfect, just remember that only the third-person singular uses 'has.' All of the other forms in this tense use 'have.'
Present Continuous
The present continuous, also known as the present progressive, is generally used to express something happening at the moment.
An example sentence might be: 'That course is being taken by a number of students.' Notice how the 'to be' verb changes depending on the person—first, second, or third—as well as the number, singular or plural.
There's no easy trick to learning which form of 'to be' to use here. Just remember, the first person, singular requires 'am,' second person requires 'are,' and 'third-person singular requires 'is.' Fortunately, all the plural forms use 'are.'
Past Simple
Past simple indicates that something happened at some specific time in the past, such as: 'Her house was built in 1987.'
Note that the past singular requires 'was' for the first and third person, while 'were' is used with a second-person pronoun. All forms are the same—'were'—for the plural tenses.
Past Perfect
The past perfectindicates actions or events that have been completed or have happened in the past.
Some examples include:
Peter had been to the post office presumably only once before they arrived, and the person being addressed in the second sentence had 'been in town' for a specific time period before 'he called.'
Past Continuous
The past continuous is usually used to refer to events happening at the same time that something important was occurring.
An example of the past continuous in a sentence would be: 'The ideas were being discussed while the decisions were being made.' In this case, the past continuous is used twice to highlight how one action was taking place at the same time as another: Ideas 'were being' discussed at the same time decisions 'were being' made.
Other Present and Past Uses
'To be' can also be used in other ways in the present and past tense, such as:
A copular 'to be' verb is essentially a transitive verb, except that the object is a phrase or clause rather than a single word. In this case, the 'to be' verb, am, links the subject 'I' with the description of the subject, (a person who is) 'sometimes late for work.'
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