Here are 10 of the most commonly used irregular verbs in English with example sentences and what makes these verbs irregular.
What is an irregular verb? An irregular verb in English does not follow the standard pattern. For example, adding “-ed” for its past tense verb form conjugations is normal, but not with irregular verbs. Instead, these verbs change in unpredictable ways! This unfortunately requires memorization.
EXAMPLES:
go → went,
eat → ate,
see → saw
Many of the most used verbs in English are also irregular! Here are 10 of the most commonly used irregular verbs in English, along with their past tense and past participle forms:
The following have this pattern: Verb → past tense → past participle
Be → was/were → been
She was very tired after the long trip.
They were excited about the concert.
He has been to Japan three times.
Have → had → had
I had a great time at the party last night.
She had a headache earlier, but now she feels better.
We have had this car for five years.
Do → did → done
He always does his homework before dinner.
She did a great job on the project.
I have already done the dishes.
Go → went → gone
I go to the gym every morning.
They went to the beach last weekend.
She has gone to the store to buy some groceries.
Say → said → said
He says he will be here soon.
She said she was tired.
I have said everything I needed to.
Get → got → gotten (or got in British English)
He gets a lot of emails every day.
I got a new phone for my birthday.
She has gotten much better at playing the piano.
Make → made → made
She makes delicious cakes.
They made a beautiful painting together.
He has made a lot of progress in his studies.
Know → knew → known
I know the answer to that question.
She knew the truth but didn’t say anything.
He has known her since childhood.
Think → thought → thought
I think it’s going to rain.
She thought the test was easy.
We have thought about moving to a new city.
Take → took → taken
She takes a shower every morning.
He took a taxi to the airport.
They have taken their final exams.
These verbs are irregular because their past forms do not follow the usual “-ed” pattern.
