Irregular Words

Same at Three Tenses:

• cost - cost - cost

The new coat costs $45. 

The new coat cost $45 last week. 

The coat has cost $45 since last month.

• cut - cut - cut

The cook usually cuts the meat. 

The cook cut the meat one hour ago. 

The cook has just cut the meat into small pieces.

• hit - hit - hit

• hurt - hurt- hurt

• let- let - let

• put - put - put

• read - read - read

• set - set - set

• shut - shut -shut

Same at present and past tense

• beat - beat - beaten

Same at present and perfect tense

• become became become

Many people become U.S. citizens every year. 

My sister became a U.S. citizen last month. 

My sister has just become a U.S. citizen.

• come came come

Fadumo comes to class early every morning. 

Fadumo came to class early yesterday morning. 

Fadumo has come to class early since September.

• run ran run

Same at past and perfect tense

• bring brought brought

We bring our books to class every night. 

We brought our books to class last night. 

We have brought our books to class since last fall.

• build built built

• burn burnt/burned burnt / burned

• buy bought bought

They buy a new car every summer. 

They bought a new car last summer. 

They have just bought a new car.

• catch caught caught

The boy always catches the ball. 

The boy caught the ball yesterday. 

The boy has caught the ball for three hours

• deal dealt dealt

• dig dug dug

• dream dreamt / dreamed dreamt / dreamed

• feed fed fed 

• feel felt felt

• fight fought fought

• find found found

• get got got / gotten 

• have had had 

• hear heard heard

• hold held held

• keep kept kept

• lead led led

• learn learnt / learned learnt / learned

• leave left left 

• lend lent lent

• light lit lit 

• lose lost lost

• make made made

• mean meant meant

• meet met met

• pay paid paid

• say said said

• sell sold sold 

• send sent sent

• shine shone shone

• shoot shot shot

• sit sat sat 

• sleep slept slept 

• smell smelt/smelled smelt / smelled

• spend spent spent

• spill spilt / spilled spilt / spilled 

• stand stood stood 

• sting stung stung

• teach taught taught 

• tell told told

• think thought thought

• understand understood understood 

• win won won  

Different at three tenses

• be was, were been

I am in class now. 

I was in class yesterday. 

I have been in class since 6:30pm.

• begin began begun

We begin class at 8:30am every day. 

We began class at 8:30am yesterday 

We have just begun class. 

• bite bit bitten 

Some dogs bite people 

A dog bit a man yesterday. 

Those dogs have bitten people a few times.

• blow blew blown 

The dishwasher usually breaks a couple of glasses. 

The dishwasher broke a couple of glasses today. 

The dishwasher has broken three glasses this week.

• break broke broken

• choose chose chosen

You choose to take ESL classes. 

You chose to take classes at this school last month. 

You have already chosen to take classes at this school.

• do did done 

You do your laundry every weekend. 

You did your laundry last weekend. 

You have done your laundry every weekend since you moved to Minnesota

• draw drew drawn 

The young girl draws a picture in class 

The young girl drew a beautiful picture last week. 

The young girl has drawn many pictures.

• drink drank drunk 

I drink orange juice for breakfast every morning. 

I drank orange juice for breakfast yesterday. 

I have drunk orange juice for many years.

• drive drove driven 

• eat ate eaten 

• fall fell fallen 

• fly flew flown 

• forget forgot forgotten 

• forgive forgave forgiven 

• freeze froze frozen 

• get got got / gotten 

• give gave given 

• go went gone / been 

• grow grew grown

• hide hid hidden

• know knew known

• lie lay lain

• ride rode ridden 

• ring rang rung 

• rise rose risen

• see saw seen

• shake shook shaken

• show showed shown

• sing sang sung 

• speak spoke spoken 

• steal stole stolen

• swim swam swum 

• take took taken 

• tear tore torn

• throw threw thrown

• wake woke woken 

• wear wore worn 

• write wrote written