How to

Study and learn

your English Irregular verbs
In 24 days

Brahim ELBOUKHARI

Copyright 2016 by Brahim ELBOUKHARI

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of
brief quotations in a book review.
Published in the United States of America
ISBN-13: 978-1537348407
ISBN-10: 153734840X
I dedicate this book to all teachers and students who are seeking perfection
 Table of Contents

Introduction
Day 1: begin began begun
Day 2: cling clung clung
Day 3: break broke broken
Day 4: bear bore born
Day 5: bleed bled bled
Day 6: sleep slept slept
Day 7: dream dreamt dreamt
Day 8: draw drew drawn
Day 9: bring brought brought
Day 10: drive drove driven
Day 11: a) bend bent bent
b) bind bound bound
Day 12: bet bet bet
Day13: hit hit hit
Day 14: a) cost cost cost
b) sell sold sold
Day 15: bite bit bitten
Day 16: take took taken
DAY 17: hew hewed hewn
Day18: lay laid laid
Day19: Variety one
Day 20: Variety two:
Day21: Variety three
Day 22: Variety four
Day 23: Variety five
Day 24: Verb to be
Final Thoughts
About the Author
Other books by the author
 Introduction

If you are student of English as a foreign or a second language, this book is for you. Its a 24-day
course that will enable you to study your irregular verbs in simple and easy steps. The verbs are
organized into categories; each follows a specific way of conjugation, except for some verbs that
dont have a common conjugation. Those are put together in portions that will enable you study them
during one day. So, give this course a few minutes every day, study the verbs and take notes, and you
will find your irregular verbs easy and fun to learn.
Remember that in this course we are dealing with three forms in the whole book: The first form is
infinitive, the second is the simple past and the third form is the past participle. All the verbs follow
this order except for the verb to be that follows a specific pattern.
0.
 Day 1: begin began begun

In your first day towards learning and studying your irregular verbs, lets start with the category of the
verb begin. It has an (i) in it, and it is this vowel(i) that changes when conjugated to the simple past or
past participle. In the simple past, the (i) changes into an (a), so it becomes began; in the past
participle, the (i) changes to (u), so it becomes begun: the following are the verbs in the list:
begin began begun
drink dank drunk
ring rang rung
shrink shrank shrunk
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
spring sprang sprung
stink stank stunk
swim swam swum
An exception to the above category is the verb run because it doesnt have an (i) in the infinitive,
instead, it contains a (u) so the (u) changes in the simple past to (a) as above and becomes ran but in
the past participle it is run as in the infinitive, so the conjugation of the verb is as follows:
Run ran run
 Day 2: cling clung clung

In the second day, lets look at the category of the verb cling which is similar to the above verbs in the
infinitive but different in the conjugation. It also contains an (i) but when conjugated to the simple past
or past participle, the (i) changes into (u), cling in the infinitive becomes clung in the simple past and
the same in the past participle.
Here are the verbs in the list:
Cling clung clung
Dig dug dug
Fling flung flung
Sling slung slung
Slink slunk slunk
Spin spun spun
Stick stuck stuck
Sting stung stung
Wring wrung wrung

The exceptions are the verbs strike and hang because strike ends with an (e) and hang contains (a)
instead of (i), therefore the verb strike is conjugated as follows:
Strike struck struck
Remember that the (i) changes into (u) while we add (c) before (k) and we remove the (e).
Hang is conjugated as follows:
Hang hung hung
Remember that the simple past and the past participle are the same.
 Day 3: break broke broken

Today, our category follows the verb break: the verbs in this category contain (ea), and they change
into two different forms for the simple past and the past participle. So, remember that break in the
simple past changes to broke, and in the past participle, we add (n) to the form of the simple past and
it becomes broken. The other verbs are as follows:
Steal stole stolen
Speak spoke spoken
Weave wove woven

In this same category, there are other verbs that do not have the same form in the infinitive but they
follow the same conjugation in the simple past and past participle:
These verbs are: choose, freeze and wake, they are conjugated as follows:
Choose chose chosen
Freeze froze frozen
Wake woke woken
Remember that they are only different in the infinitive.
 Day 4: bear bore born

Today, our category follows the same conjugation as the verb bear, all the verbs under this category
contain (ea) just as the above verbs, but they are slightly different in conjugation:
Bear bore born
Swear swore sworn
Tear tore torn
Wear wore worn

NB: for the verb bear it has two forms in the past participle, and we can write it as born as we have
seen above or borne by adding the (e).
 Day 5: bleed bled bled

Our category today contains a different type of verbs; they follow the conjugation of the verb bleed,
so the simple past is the same as past participle: all the verbs contain (ee) and in both the simple past
and past participle one (e) is omitted so the verb bleed is conjugated as bled in the simple past and
bled in the past participle. The other verbs are as follows:
Bleed bled bled
Breed bred bred
Feed fed fed
Speed sped sped
Other exceptions to this rule are the verbs flee and lead and these are their conjugation:
Flee fled led
Lead led led
 Day 6: sleep slept slept

Today, our verbs are varied, but they follow the same pattern like the verb sleep in which the simple
past is the same as the past participle. Remember that the verbs are written with (ee) in the infinitive,
and they change by dropping one (e) and adding (t) at the end for both the simple past and the past
participle. The list of the verbs in this category are as follows:
Sleep slept slept
Creep crept crept
Feel felt felt
Keep kept kept
Kneel knelt knelt
Sweep swept swept
Weep wept wept
 Day 7: dream dreamt dreamt

Today, we will deal with the exceptions that we have for the rules in day 6
The same category includes other verbs that contain (ea) instead of (ee) as we have seen above; these
verbs dont undergo any change apart from adding (t)
Dream dreamt dreamt
Leap leapt leapt
Leave left left
Other verbs that have the same form are
Smell smelt smelt
Spell spelt spelt
Meet met met
Bereave bereft bereft
Mean meant meant
 Day 8: draw drew drawn

Today, our category follows the verb draw which changes to drew in the simple past by changing the
(a) to (e) and in the past participle, we add (n) to the infinitive without changing anything, and the list
of the verbs is as follows:
Draw drew drawn
Overdraw overdrew overdrawn
Withdraw withdrew withdrawn
The second part of todays verbs follow the category of: blow blew blown
The verbs in this category are the same as above except that they contain an (o) instead of (a) and so
goes the conjugation by changing the (o) to (e) in the simple past and adding (n) to the infinitive in the
past participle. The verbs in this category are as follows:
Blow blew blown
Grow grew grown
Know knew known
Throw threw thrown
The exception to the rule is with the verb fly which is written differently in the infinitive but has the
same conjugation as the above verbs:
Fly flew flown
 Day 9: bring brought brought

The verbs in this category have different forms in the infinitive but they have the same conjugation in
the simple past and the past participle. The verbs in this category are as follows:
Bring brought brought
Beseech besought besought
Buy bought bought
Fight fought fought
Seek sought sought
Think thought thought
Exceptions to this rule are the two verbs catch and teach because (instead) of an (o) they take an (a)
in the simple past and past participle:
Catch caught caught
Teach taught taught

Note that there is difference between think and teach, they are often confused:
Teach taught taught
Think thought thought
 Day 10: drive drove driven

Today, our category is the verb drive, in the simple past the (i) changes to (o) and in the past
participle, we add n to the infinitive so here is the full list:
Drive drove driven
Rise rose risen
Shrive shrove shriven
Strive strove striven
Note that in the following verbs we double the consonant (t) or (d) in the past participle.
Smite smote smitten
Write wrote written
Ride rode ridden
Stride strode stridden
 Day 11: a) bend bent bent

Our category of verbs for today ends with (d) : in the simple past as well as the past participle the (d)
changes into (t) and the list of the other verbs that follow this category are as follows:

Bend bent bent

Lend lent lent
Rend rent rent
Send sent sent
Spend spent spent
b) bind bound bound
The second category of verbs today follows the model of the verb bind, it contains (i) and when we
conjugate it to the simple past and past participle the (i) changes to (ou): so the list is as follows:
Bind bound bound
Find found found
Grind ground ground
Wind wound wound
 Day 12: bet bet bet

Today, we will see two categories of verbs that dont change the first group follows the verb bet. All
of the verbs are one syllable they contain (e) in the middle, and they dont change, so here is the list:
Bet bet bet
Let let let
Set let let
Shed shed shed
The second c category follows the verb cut, they are the same as the above but instead of (e)
they contain (u). Here is the list :
Cut cut cut
Burst burst burst
Hurt hurt hurt
Put put put
Shut shut shut
Thrust thrust thrust
 Day13: hit hit hit

Today, our list of verbs follows the verb hit, they also dont change, so the simple past and the past
participle are the same as the infinitive without to. The list goes as follows:

Hit hit hit

Knit knit knit
Rid rid rid
Slit slit slit
Split split split
 Day 14: a) cost cost cost

Today, we will study two categories of verbs, the first one follows the model of the verb cost, so the
verbs are the same as the above verbs, no change occurs and here is the list:
Cost cost cost
Cast cast cast
Read read read
Spread spread spread
b) sell sold sold
The second category for today follows the model of the verb sell; in the simple past and past
participle the (e) in the infinitive changes to (o), and (l) changes to (d); here is the list:
Sell sold sold
Tell told told
 Day 15: bite bit bitten

Today, our list of verbs contains a category that follows bite: in the simple past we delete the (e) and
in the past participle we double the last consonant and add (n) to the infinitive, so here is the list:
Bite bit bitten
Chide chid chidden
Hide hid hidden
Note that chide can have a regular form so it can also be written as follows:
Chide chided chided

The second category for today follows the verb bid, so it changes to bade in the simple past and
bidden in the past participle:
Bid bade bidden
Forbid forbade forbidden
Forgive forgave forgiven
 Day 16: take took taken

Today, our category follows the verb take: in the simple past it changes to took, and in the past
participle it changes to taken by adding (n) to the infinitive:
Here is the list of the verbs:

Take took taken

Mistake mistook mistaken
Forsake forsook forsaken
Partake partook partaken
Shake shook shaken
 DAY 17: hew hewed hewn

Today, our category follows the verb hew: in the simple past we add (ed) and in the past participle
we add (n):
Remember that the verbs in this category dont look the same in the infinitive but they have the same
conjugation, here is the list:

Hew hewed hewn

Mow mowed mown
Sew sewed sewn
Show showed shown
Saw sawed swan
Strew strewed strewn
 Day18: lay laid laid

The first category for today follows the verb lay which has the same form for both the simple past and
the past participle:
Lay laid laid
Mislay mislaid mislaid
say said said
pay paid paid
NB: many learners confuse the verb lay and lie
Here are the two conjugations:
Lay laid laid
Lie lay lain
Consult a dictionary to find the difference in their meanings.
The second category for today follows the verb hear, we only add the (d) for both the simple past as
well as the past participle:
Hear heard heard
Overhear overheard overheard
 Day19: Variety one

From today we have some verbs that belong to either small categories or no category at all; I am
going to provide you with the list that can be studies throughout one day, so here are the lists of the
first category:
a) hold held held
behold beheld beheld
withhold withheld withheld

b) stand stood stood

understand understood understood
withstand withstood withstood

c) come came come

become became become
overcome overcame overcome
 Day 20: Variety two:

Our second variety for today contains three categories of verbs that are as follows:

Do did done
Outdo outdid outdone

Go went gone
Undergo underwent undergone

get got got (gotten)

forget forgot forgotten
 Day21: Variety three

Our variety for today share one thing in common which is that the simple and past participle are the
same so you can only learn one form without the other:

Lose lost lost

Make made made
Shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
slide slid slid
swell swelt swelt
 Day 22: Variety four

Today, we have two small lists of verbs here is the list of the first one with three verbs;

tread trod trodden

see saw seen
rot rotted rotten
And here is the second list with only two verbs
sit sat sat
spit spat spat
 Day 23: Variety five

Our variety for today contains five verbs each one has a different conjugation, study them slowly and
you will remember them:

Abide abode abode

Beat beat beaten
Build built built
Burn burnt burnt

Note that some verbs may have more than one form, I included only the most common ones so as not
to confuse you, once you learn all these, you can find the other forms easily.
 Day 24: Verb to be

I choose to put the verb to be as the last one in the list for its importance and because I have noticed
the difficulty that students have while dealing with the verb to be; I hope everybody will benefit from
it and study it attentively so that they can retain it:
Here is the form of the verb to be, not only the simple past like above but also all its irregular forms:
Simple present
I am
He /she/ it is
You/We /they are
Simple past
I/ he / she /it/ was
You /we /they were
Past participle
been
 Final Thoughts

The lists included in this book are not exhaustive, but they contain the most important verbs that
learners of English need even in their advanced levels, some forms of verbs are not included because
they are either, not in use anymore, or because one form is used and its the most common one.
 About the Author
Brahim ELBOUKHARI
Brahim was born in Taous Morocco, in January 25th, 1981, but he grew up in the beautiful village of
Merzouga and started his education there then went to many different places in Morocco. After his
primary school, which was in Merzouga, he moved to Rissani and studied his junior high school there
in a boarding school in Hassan 2nd High School. After that, he went to Errachidia to study English
through a branch of English preformation in Sijilmassa High School. In 2002, Brahim started his
university studies in Moulay Ismail University until he graduated in 2006 with a BA in English
Language and Literature. In 2008, he graduated from University Mohamed 1st in Oujda with MA in
Humanities and Area Studies/ Colonial and Post-Colonial Discourse. In 2009, he graduated from the
Ecole Normal Superieur in Rabat as a teacher of English as a foreign language from then on he has
been teaching English in Moulay Rachid High School in Erfoud in the South East of Morocco. He is
the founder of http://www.idstorify.com and http://www.theenglishteacherweb.com in addition to that
he works as a translator and freelance writer, he has written non-fiction, fiction and poetry.
 Other books by the author

Poetry
The Soft Wind of Summer
The Dark Days of Our Village
Fragments of Moroccan Society

Non-fiction
Representation and Resistance: A postcolonial Study to Bowles Sheltering Sky