Regular and Irregular Verbs : Rules & Verbs list

By – TEFL-certified Tutor – Last Updated: June 01, 2025

Regular and Irregular Verb

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"Verb" is the word which shows an action in a Sentence. In English there are two types of verbs "regular and irregular".

Let's talk about regular and irregular verbs. Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds!

Regular verbs follow a pattern when we change their tenses. For example, "walk" becomes "walked" in the past tense, and "walking" in the present participle form. Easy, right?

Now, irregular verbs are a bit trickier. They don't follow the same pattern as regular verbs. Instead, they change in unique ways when we move between tenses. For instance, "go" changes to "went" in the past tense, which is different from just adding "-ed" like regular verbs.

Understanding regular and irregular verbs is super important for speaking and writing correctly in English. Are you ready? So let's start.

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Regular and Irregular Verbs, Regular Verbs,Irregular Verbs, Verbs, Base form, Past simple,Past Participle, V1, V2, V3,Vowel, syllable, syllables
See also:
  1. Auxiliary Verbs vs. Linking Verbs
  2. Causative Verb: List, Uses & Examples
  3. Dynamic Verbs vs. Stative Verbs
  4. Modal Auxiliary Verbs : Use & Examples
  5. Past Modals: Could Have, Should Have, Would Have
  6. Phrasal Verbs: Definition, Types & Usage
  7. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: How to identify?

1. Regular verbs :

  • In these verbs we add “ed” at the end of Base form (V1) for formation of Past simple (V2) and Past Participle (V3).
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Open Opened Opened
Want Wanted Wanted
Earn Earned Earned

A. Rule 1:

  • If the verb ends with "e" simply add "d".
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Live Lived Lived
Like Liked Liked
Dance Danced Danced
Hate Hated Hated

B. Rule 2:

  • If the verb ends with "Vowel + y" simply add "ed").
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Play Played Played
Stay Stayed Stayed
Enjoy Enjoyed Enjoyed

C. Rule 3:

  • If the verb ends with "Consonant + y" change "y to i" and add "ed" .
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Cry Cried Cried
Try Tried Tried
Fry Fried Fried

D. Rule 4:

  • If the verb has one syllable, single vowel and ending in single consonant double the final consonant and add “ed”
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Rip Ripped Ripped
Nod Nodded Nodded
Stop Stopped Stopped

E. Rule 5:

  • If the verb has two syllables, stress on second syllable and ending in single consonant double the final consonant and add “ed”
For example:
Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
Prefer Preferred Preferred
Commit Committed Committed
Submit Submitted Submitted

2. Irregular Verbs :

  • These Verbs form past simple and past participle in different ways. These are formed mainly in four different patterns. The main change is in vowels "a,e,i,o,u".
For example:
Sr.No. Pattern Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
1 All are Same Read Read Read
2 V2 & V3 are Same Think Thought Thought
3 V2 is different than V1 and V3 Run Ran Run
4 V2 & V3 are Different Know Knew Known

  • Remember, Some verbs can be both regular and irregular.
For example:
Sr. No. Verb Type Base Form (V1) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
1 Regular Learn Learned Learned
Irregular Learn Learnt Learnt
2 Regular Smell Smelled Smelled
Irregular Smell Smelt Smelt
3 Regular Dream Dreamed Dreamed
Irregular Dream Dreamt Dreamt

List of some useful Irregular verbs:

Sr. No. V1 V2 V3
1 awake awoke awoken
2 be, am, is, are was, were been
3 bear bore borne
4 beat beat beat
5 become became become
6 begin began begun
7 bend bent bent
8 bet bet bet
9 bid bid / bade bid / bidden
10 bind bound bound
11 bite bit bitten
12 bleed bled bled
13 blow blew blown
14 break broke broken
15 bring brought brought
16 build built built
17 burn burned / burnt burned / burnt
18 burst burst burst
19 buy bought bought
20 catch caught caught
21 choose chose chosen
22 come came come
23 cut cut cut
24 dig dug dug
25 dive dived / dove dived
26 do did done
27 draw drew drawn
28 dream dreamed / dreamt dreamed / dreamt
29 drive drove driven
30 drink drank drunk
31 eat ate eaten
32 fall fell fallen
33 feed fed fed
34 feel felt felt
35 fight fought fought
36 find found found
37 fly flew flown
38 flow flew flown
39 forbid forbade forbidden
40 forget forgot forgotten
41 forgive forgave forgiven
42 freeze froze frozen
43 get got gotten
44 give gave given
45 go went gone
46 grind ground ground
47 grow grew grown
48 glow glew glown
49 hang hung hung
50 have had had

List of some useful Regular Verbs:

Sr. No. V1 V2 V3
1 Accept Accepted Accepted
2 Add Added Added
3 Admire Admired Admired
4 Admit Admitted Admitted
5 Advise Advised Advised
6 Afford Afforded Afforded
7 Agree Agreed Agreed
8 Allow Allowed Allowed
9 Amuse Amused Amused
10 Analyze Analyzed Analyzed
11 Announce Announced Announced
12 Annoy Annoyed Annoyed
13 Answer Answered Answered
14 Apologize Apologized Apologized
15 Appear Appeared Appeared
16 Applaud Applauded Applauded
17 Appreciate Appreciated Appreciated
18 Approve Approved Approved
19 Argue Argued Argued
20 Arrange Arranged Arranged
21 Arrest Arrested Arrested
22 Arrive Arrived Arrived
23 Ask Asked Asked
24 Attach Attached Attached
25 Attack Attacked Attacked
26 Attempt Attempted Attempted
27 Attend Attended Attended
28 Attract Attracted Attracted
29 Avoid Avoided Avoided
30 Ban Banned Banned
31 Change Changed Changed
32 Challenge Challenged Challenged
33 Chase Chased Chased
34 Cheat Cheated Cheated
35 Check Checked Checked
36 Chew Chewed Chewed
37 Chop Chopped Chopped
38 Claim Claimed Claimed
39 Clap Clapped Clapped
40 Clean Cleaned Cleaned
41 Clear Cleared Cleared
42 Close Closed Closed
43 Collect Collected Collected
44 Communicate Communicate Communicate
45 Compare Compared Compared
46 Compete Competed Competed
47 Complain Complained Complained
48 Complete Completed Completed
49 Concentrate Concentrated Concentrated
50 Confess Confessed Confessed