Irregular Verbs

A verb expresses action, occurrence or state of being. Regular verbs form the past tense by adding –d or– ed. Irregular verbs do not follow this typical pattern. Our list of irregular verbs contains over 125 verbs. We also identified the most common ones as well as offer free irregular past tense verbs worksheets to help a child comprehend these words.

List of Irregular Verbs

PresentPastPast Participle *
amwasbeen
arewerebeen
beatbeatbeaten
becomebecamebecome
beginbeganbegun
bendbent or bendedbent or bended
betbetbet
bitebitbitten
bleedbledbled
blowblewblown
breakbrokebroken
bringbroughtbrought
buildbuiltbuilt
burstburstburst
castcastcast
catchcaughtcaught
choosechosechosen
comecamecome
costcostcost
creepcreptcrept
cutcutcut
digdugdug
divedove or diveddived
dodiddone
doesdiddone
drawdrewdrawn
dreamdreamt or dreameddreamed or dreamt
drinkdrankdrunk
drivedrovedriven
eatateeaten
fallfellfallen
feedfedfed
feelfeltfelt
fightfoughtfought
flyflewflown
forbidforbadeforbidden
forgetforgotfoegotten
forgiveforgaveforgiven
freezefrozefrozen
getgotgot or gotten
givegavegiven
gowentgone
growgrewgrown
grindgroundground
hanghung or hangedhung
hashadhad
hearheardheard
hidehidhidden
hithithit
holdheldheld
hurthurthurt
iswashas been
keepkeptkept
kneelkneeled or kneltkneeled or knelt
knowknewknown
laylaidlaid
leapleaped or leaptleaped or leapt
leaveleftleft
lendlentlent
letletlet
lielaylain
lightlitlit
loselostlost
makemademade
meanmeantmeant
mowmowedmowed or mown
putputput
quitquitquit
readreadread
rideroderidden
ringrangrung
riseroserisen
runranrun
sawsawedsawed or sawn
saysaidsaid
seesawseen
sellsoldsold
setsetset
sewsewedsewed or sewn
shakeshookshaken
shedshedshed
shineshined or shoneshined or shone
shootshotshot
showshowedshown or showed
shrinkshrank or shrunkshrunk
shutshutshut
singsangsung
sinksanksunk
sitsatsat
sleepsleptslept
slideslidslid
slitslitslit
sowsowedsowed or sown
speakspokespoken
spendspentspent
spinspunspun
spitspitspit
splitsplitsplit
spreadspreadspread
springsprang or sprungsprung
standstoodstood
stealstolestolen
stickstuckstuck
stingstungstung
strikestruckstruck
stringstrungstrung
swearsworesworn
sweatsweat or sweatedsweat or sweated
sweepsweptswept
swimswam or swumswum
swingswungswung
taketooktaken
teachtaughttaught
teartoretorn
telltoldtold
thinkthoughtthought
throwthrewthrown
thrustthrustthrust
understandunderstoodunderstood
wakewoke or wakedwoken or waked
wearworeworn
weavewovewoven
weepweptwept
wetwetwet
winwonwon
windwoundwound
writewrotewritten

* Note: The past participle also needs was, has, had or is.

To obtain a PDF of the entire list, please click on this link.

Worksheets and Activities

These irregular verbs worksheets and activities below provide entertaining exercises that reinforce these verbs, specifically their past and present tense as well as definition.

Irregular verbs worksheet-1 Irregular verbs worksheet-2 Irregular verbs worksheet 3
Irregular verbs worksheet-4 Irregular verbs worksheet-5 Irregular verbs worksheet-6

List of Common Irregular Verbs

Dolch included 92 verbs on his sight word list, which represent 41% of his word list. Interestingly, over half of those verbs are irregular so we created the above fun activities to help a child comprehend these words. The table below lists these verbs that are included on Dolch’s sight word list. We excluded the auxiliary verbs, e.g. am, was, are, were, do, does, did, has, have, had, can, could. Dolch included 23 auxiliary verbs. When you combined both irregular verbs and the auxiliary verbs, they represent over 70% of Dolch’s verb.

Present Past Present Past
bring brought* know knew*
buy bought* let let
come came make made
cut cut put put
draw drew* read read
drink drank* ride rode*
eat ate run ran
fall fell * say said
find found see saw
fly flew* sing sang*
get got sit sat*
give gave sleep slept*
go, goes went take took*
grow grew* tell told*
hold held* think thought*
hurt hurt write wrote*
keep kept

*Not included on Dolch’s sight word list.

Sight word activities assist a child in developing a sight word vocabulary. They offer fun and entertaining ways to reinforce new sight words or previously learned ones.

Source: Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.