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Irregular Verbs in English*

Marianne Raynaud and Catherine Alhinc


Type 1: The same form for the simple past and the past participle
roup 1 ! 1 "# $erbs%
The simple past and the past participle are exactly the same and end with d. The
infinitive is always pronounced [i:] like the letter E, while the simple past and past
participle are pronounced [e] like in the word ed!e.
"lever to breed bred bred
lire to read read read
mener, conduire to lead led led
nourrir, alimenter to feed fed fed
traiter #affaires$ to deal dealt dealt
roup 1 ! & "1' $erbs%
The simple past and the past participle are exactly the same and end with t. The infinitive
is always pronounced [i:] like the letter E, while the simple past and past participle are
pronounced [e] like in the word ed!e.
#se$ sentir to feel felt felt
%alayer to s(eep s(ept s(ept
%ondir to leap leapt leapt
dormir to sleep slept slept
!arder to )eep )ept )ept
pleurer to (eep (ept (ept
&uitter, laisser to lea$e left left
ramper to creep crept crept
rencontrer to meet met met
si!nifier, vouloir dire to mean meant meant
roup & * 1 "+ $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are exactly the same and are formed %y chan!in! the
last consonant to a d or to de.
avoir to ha$e had had
faire to ma)e made made
dire to say said said
mettre, "tendre to lay laid laid
payer to pay paid paid
entendre to hear heard heard
!lisser to slide slid slid
*There are additional irregular verbs, but many of these now have common regular forms.
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roup & * & "11 $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are exactly the same and are formed by changing the
last consonant to t.
d"penser, passer to spend spent spent
#se$ cour%er to bend bent bent
pr-ter to lend lent lent
envoyer to send sent sent
sentir #odorat$ to smell smelt smelt
%r.ler to burn burnt burnt
construire to build built built
The verbs below (also in group 2 have both regular and irregular forms ending in t.
They appear in !as "t #ove$ as irregular verbs.
"n these tables the verbs mar%ed with an asteris% have both regular and irregular forms.
"n the story !as "t #ove$ they have irregular forms.
apprendre to learn * learnt learnt
r-ver to dream * dreamt dreamt
d"verser to spill * spilt spilt
!/cher to spoil * spoilt spoilt
roup , * 1 "+ $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are the same and are formed by changing the last
consonant to ght pronounced &t&.
apporter, amener to bring brought brought
attraper to catch caught caught
penser, r"fl"chir to thin) thought thought
acheter to buy bought bought
com%attre, se %attre to fight fought fought
chercher to see) sought sought
ensei!ner to teach taught taught
roup - A "11 $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are the same and are formed by changing the last
consonant to d.
dire, raconter to tell told told
vendre to sell sold sold
attacher, tenir, lier #contrat$ to bind bound bound
trouver to find found found
moudre, hacher to grind ground ground
enrouler to (ind (ound (ound
se tenir de%out to stand stood stood
comprendre to understand understood understood
tenir contre, endurer to (ithstand (ithstood (ithstood
tenir to hold held held
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retenir to (ithhold (ithheld (ithheld
roup - . ! 1 "1' $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are the same and end in t, c%, n or ne.
ac&u"rir, o%tenir to get got got / gotten "01%
perdre to lose lost lost
%riller to shine shone shone
tirer #fusil$, chasser to shoot shot shot
-tre assis to sit sat sat
cracher to spit spit / spat spit / spat
coller to stic) stuc) stuc)
frapper to stri)e struc) struc)
#se$ %alancer to s(ing s(ung s(ung
tordre (ring (rung (rung
!a!ner to (in (on (on
roup - . ! & "2 $erbs%
The simple past and past participle are once more the same and end in g or ng.
creuser to dig dug clung
s1accrocher 2 to cling clung dug
lancer, #se$ 3eter to fling flung flung
-tre suspendu, pendre to hang hung / hanged hung / hanged
lancer, 3eter to sling slung slung
tourner, filer #tissa!e$ to spin spun spun
pi&uer #insecte, sensation$ to sting stung stung
accrocher #!uirlande$ to string strung strung
Type II: Three different forms
roup # "11 $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are different. These ver%s all have infinitives endin! in
ow except fly, draw, withdraw and sew. 4ll %ut the last 5 ver%s form the simple
past %y chan!in! the main sylla%le to ew. 6our ver%s have re!ular simple past tenses %ut
irre!ular past participles: show, sew, mow and sow. 6or all the ver%s in !roup 7
the past participle is formed %y addin! n to the infinitive.
souffler to blo( ble( blo(n
pousser, cro8tre to gro( gre( gro(n
savoir, conna8tre to )no( )ne( )no(n
3eter, lancer to thro( thre( thro(n
voler, piloter #avion$ to fly fle( flo(n
tirer, dessiner to dra( dre( dra(n
se retirer to (ithdra( (ithdre( (ithdra(n
tondre #la pelouse$ to mo( mo(ed mo(n / mo(ed
montrer to sho( sho(ed sho(n / sho(ed
coudre to se(* se(ed se(n / se(ed
semer to so(* so(ed so(n / so(ed
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:e careful, the ver%s sow and sew are pronounced exactly the same way ;s<;.
roup 3 "+ $erbs%
The simple past and past participle are again different. The simple past changes the middle
vowel of the infinitive to an o and adds an e at the end if it doesn't already exist
(brea%, bro%e( spea%, spo%e( steal, stole. The past participle is formed by adding an n
to the simple past.
%riser, casser to brea) bro)e bro)en
choisir to choose chose chosen
!eler, con!eler to free4e fro4e fro4en
parler to spea) spo)e spo)en
voler, d"ro%er to steal stole stolen
#se$ r"veiller to (a)e (o)e (o)en
tisser to (ea$e (o$e (o$en
roup + * 1 "1' $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are different. The simple past is formed by changing
the original central vowel sound to another sound)
eat ate, ta%e too%, hide hid.
Thus the past sounds different from the infinitive (exception) beat * beat.
The past participle is formed by adding n to the infinitive if it ends with an e) give
given or by adding en if it ends with a consonant) eat eaten.
=rendre, enlever, sortir to ta)e off /out too) ta)en
man!er to eat ate eaten
%attre to beat beat beaten
conduire to dri$e dro$e dri$en
donner to gi$e ga$e gi$en
pardonner to forgi$e forga$e forgi$en
s1efforcer de to stri$e * stro$e / stri$ed stri$en / stri$ed
secouer, serrer #main$ to sha)e shoo) sha)en
a%andonner to forsa)e forsoo) forsa)en
se lever, s>"lever to rise rose risen
sur!ir, survenir, "mer!er to arise arose arisen
* +oth regular and irregular forms
roup + * & "+ $erbs%
The simple past and past participle differ. The central vowel sound changes in the past,
and the past participle doubles the d, t or l at the end.
mordre to bite bit bitten
"crire to (rite (rote (ritten
ou%lier to forget forgot forgotten
d"fendre, interdire to forbid forbade forbidden
#se$ cacher to hide hid hidden
aller 2 cheval, moto, v"lo to ride rode ridden
tom%er to fall fell fallen
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roup 5 ! 1 "# $erbs%
The simple past and past participles are different. These are very common verbs.
-tre to be (as been
voir to see sa( seen
aller, partir to go (ent gone
faire to do did done
commencer to begin began begun
roup 5 ! & "- $erbs%
The simple past and past participle differ, but the past participle is li%e the infinitive.
venir to come came come
devenir to become became become
surmonter to o$ercome o$ercame o$ercome
courir to run ran run
roup 5 ! , "- $erbs%.
The simple past and past participle are different. The simple past is formed by changing
the central vowel sound ea to o pronounced &,& and adding e after the final
consonant. The past participle is formed by changing the final e to n.
3urer, pr-ter serment to s(ear s(ore s(orn
porter, supporter to bear bore born
porter #v-tements, parfum,
etc.$
to (ear (ore (orn
d"chirer to tear tore torn
roup 5 ! - "5 $erbs%.
The simple past and past participle are different. The simple past is formed by changing
the central vowel sound i to a pronounced &-&. The past participle is formed by
changing the central vowel sound to u pronounced &.&.
sauter, %ondir to spring sprang sprung
sonner, t"l"phoner to ring rang rung
chanter to sing sang sung
%oire to drin) dran) drun)
r"tr"cir to shrin) shran) shrun)
couler, som%rer to sin) san) sun)
sentir mauvais to stin) stan) stun)
na!er to s(im s(am s(um
roup 5 ! # "& $erbs%.
The simple past and past participle are different. The past participle ends in ain, which is
pronounced ;?n;.
-tre "tendu to lie* lay lain
tuer, massacrer to slay sle( slain
*/ere the verb to lie means to be in a hori0ontal position. The verb to lie, which
means not to tell the truth is a regular verb.
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Type III: The same form for the infiniti$e6 the simple past and the past participle
roup 2 ! 1 "# $erbs%
The central vowel sound is ;@;
laisser, permettre to let let let
parier to bet bet bet
installer, poser to set set set
perdre #feuilles, cheveux$ to shed shed shed
"taler, "tendre to spread spread spread
roup 2 ! & "- $erbs%
The central vowel sound is &1&.
frapper to hit hit hit
faire une offre to bid bid bid
fendre, couper droit to slit slit slit
s"parer, scinder, fendre to split split split
a%andonner, -tre "limin" to 7uit 7uit 7uit
roup 2 ! , ", $erbs%
The central vowel sound is &.&.
couper to cut cut cut
fermer to shut shut shut
enfoncer, porter un coup to thrust thrust thrust
roup 2 ! - "& $erbs%
The central vowel sound is &2&.
%lesser, faire mal to hurt hurt hurt
"clater to burst burst burst
roup 2 ! # ", $erbs%
The central vowel sound in the final syllable is &-&.
lancer to cast cast cast
pr"voir to forecast forecast forecast
diffuser #radio, TA, etc.$ to broadcast broadcast broadcast
roup 2 ! 3 "& $erbs%
The central vowel sound is & o& or &,&. oo
poser, mettre to put put put
co.ter to cost cost cost
Bf you now know the entire list you have learnt one hundred and forty)ei!ht irre!ular ver%s
and their tenses. 'on!ratulations on your efforts to speak correct En!lishC
Darianne Eaynaud and 'atherine 4lhinc
'opyri!ht (ualityTime)E*+
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