Irregular verbs

List of irregular verbs

We use ‚Present participle‘ in past simple tense.

We use ‚Past participle‘ in all perfect tenses and in passive voice.

Infinitive Present participle Past Participle
A
arise arose arisen
awake awoke awoken
B
be was,were been
bear bore borne,born
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bid bid bid
bind bound bound
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
breed bred bred
bring brought brought
broadcast broadcast broadcast
build built built
burn burned,burnt burned,burnt
burst burst burst
buy bought bought

cast cast cast
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
cling clung clung
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
D
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed,dreamt dreamed,dreamt
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
E
eat ate eaten
F
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fit fit fit
flee fled fled
fling flung flung
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forecast forecast forecast
foretell foretold foretold
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
forsake forsook forsaken
freeze froze frozen
G
get got gotten,got
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
H
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
K
keep kept kept
kneel knelt,kneeled knelt,kneeled
knit knit,knitted knit,knitted
know knew known
L
lay laid laid
lead led led
lean leaned,leant leaned,leant
leap leaped,leapt leaped,leapt
learn learned,learnt learned,learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lighted,lit lighted,lit
lose lost lost
M
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
M
mislay mislaid mislaid
mistake mistook mistaken
O
overtake overtook overtaken
P
pay paid paid
prove proved proved,proven
put put put
Q
quit quit quit
R
read read read
rid rid rid
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
S
saw sawed sawed,sawn
say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewn,sewed
shake shook shaken
shave shaved shaved,shaven
shear sheared sheared,shorn
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed showed,shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank,sunk sunk
sit sat sat
slay slew slain
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
slit slit slit
smell smelled,smelt smelled,smelt
sneak sneaked,snuck sneaked,snuck
speak spoke spoken
speed sped sped
spell spelled,spelt spelled,spelt
spend spent spent
spill spilled,spilt spilled,spilt
spin spun spun
spit spat,spit spat,spit
split split split
spoil spoiled,spoilt spoiled,spoilt
spread spread spread
spring sprang sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank,stunk stunk
strew strewed strewn
strike struck struck,stricken
string strung strung
strive strove striven
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swelled,swollen
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
T
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
thrust thrust thrust
U
undergo underwent undergone
understand understood understood
undertake undertook undertaken
upset upset upset
W
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weave wove,weaved woven,weaved
weep wept wept
wet wet,wetted wet,wetted
win won won
wind wound wound
withdraw withdrew withdrawn
wring wrung wrung
write wrote written

Past simple tense

Past simple tense

We use past simple tense to say that something happened in the past at a definite time (yesterday, last week, last year etc.). The time doesn’t need to be mentioned but it is clear that the action is over.

Form:

to be = was/were

I was

You were

He/She/It was

We were

They were

Examples:

I was 23 last week. I wasn’t (was not) at work yesterday.

You were happy last time I met you. You weren’t (were not) sad.

He was ill when I called him. He wasn’t in the pub last night.

She was on holiday last summer. She wasn’t in Italy.

It was a nice day yesterday. It wasn’t too hot.

We were in the pub last night. We weren’t at an opera.

They were in Paris last weekend. They weren’t at home.

Verb forms:

Regular verbs: -ed

talked, played, stayed, lived, worked, managed, watched, studied

Irregular verbs: about 290 of them, see a good dictionary for a full list, in past tense we use so-called present participle of these verbs.

Went, met, got, ran, swam, bought, found, brought etc.

Negative form: use didn’t + verb in bare infinitive (go, play, stay, sleep etc.)

was = wasn’t (was not)

were = weren’t (were not)

Examples:

I went to a shop yesterday to buy a new pair of jeans but I didn’t (did not) buy any because I didn’t like any of them.

The bus was late and thus I was late for work this morning. (It’s afternoon now).

Tom worked in the shop but now he studies at university only. (not working any more)

She wasn’t (was not) very happy with her GCSE results but her mum said it was OK.

Our car broke down on our way to the airport so we had to call a taxi.

It was just a sheer luck we weren’t (were not) late for our flight.

When they went on holiday to France last summer they didn’t have time to visit Notre Dame cathedral in the centre of Paris.

Making questions in past simple:

Are you = Were you; Were you at work last week?

Is he = Was he; Was he ill last weekend?

Is she = Was she; Was she in the cinema last night?

Is it = Was it; Was your food OK?

Are we = Were we; Were we happy about that?

Are they = Were they; Were they nice to you?

Do = Did + verb

Did you like the film you saw in the cinema yesterday?

Did she go out with him to the restaurant?

Did he offer her a lift back home?

Did they have a good time?

Answers in past simple:

Were you busy at work today? Yes, I was.

Was he nice to you? No, he wasn’t (was not).

Were they happy to see you again? Yes, they were.

Was she upset about the weather? No, she wasn’t (was not).

Were we pleased with the service? No, we weren’t (were not).

Did you visit your mum last weekend? Yes, I did.

Did he lend you his car for a day? No, he didn’t (did not).

Did she go to the cinema with him? Yes, she did.

Did your father buy you an ice cream? No, he didn’t (did not).

Did we like the film? Yes, we did.

Did they invite you to their wedding? No, they didn’t (did not).

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Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives

Most one syllable adjectives, e.g. strong, fast, tall, small, short

strong – stronger – the strongest

fast – faster – the fastest

tall – taller – the tallest

small – smaller – the smallest

short – shorter – the shortest

Just add -er for comparative and -est for superlative

Adjective ending in -e, e.g. large, nice

large – larger – the largest

nice – nicer – the nicest

Just add -r for comparative and -st for superlative

Adjectives ending in consonant + vowel, e.g. big, fat, slim

big – bigger – the biggest

fat – fatter – the fattest

slim – slimmer – the slimmest

Always double the last consonant!!

Adjectives ending in -y, e.g. heavy, pretty, ugly

heavy – heavier – the heaviest

pretty – prettier – the prettiest

ugly – uglier – the ugliest

-ier for comparative and -iest for superlative

Adjectives with more than two syllables, e.g. expensive, powerful, comfortable

expensive – more expensive – the most expensive

powerful – more powerful – the most powerful

comfortable – more comfortable – the most comfortable

‚more‘ to make a comparative and ‚the most‘ to make a superlative

Irregular adjectives

good – better – the best

bad – worse – the worst

far – farther – the farthest

Don’t forget to use ‚the‘ with a superlative!

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May / Might

May & Might

 

May (more formal than ‚can‘)

To give permission: (I say that you are allowed to….)

You may go home early today.

She may visit you tonight.

You may not go clubbing this weekend.

He may park his car here.

We may take our holiday in June.

They may not play football this Sunday.

Questions:

May I go to the cinema on Friday night? Yes, you may. No, you may not.

May we go camping next weekend? Yes, you may. No, you may not.

Might

Used in conditionals:

If you asked him to call you back he might do it.

If she was invited to the party, she might arrive later.

If he tells me about the problem, I might sort it out for him.

Used in indirect speech:

He said he might go on holiday to Brazil.

She mentioned she might change her job soon.

They told me they might try for a baby next year.

My GP (doctor) told me I might die of cancer if I don’t quit smoking.

May/Might for present and future possibility

Might increases the doubt.

I may go to the university next year. (thinking about it)

I might study law. (not sure about what to study)

He may/might be waiting for us at the other exit.

She may/might apply for that job.

They may/might not believe our story. (perhaps they won’t)

We may/might not arrive on time. (perhaps we’ll be late)

Live your life to the full! You might day tomorrow. (not likely to happen but you never know…)

May/ Might

For speculations about past actions

Usually use with present perfect tense

I don’t know where he is now. He may/might got lost on his way here.

He may/might have prepared the presentation for the board of trustees last weekend.

(I don’t know if it’s ready)

She may/might have gone shopping for what I know. (don’t know and don’t care)

Might

In conditionals

If you have called me last night, I might have told you about the problem.

If she left him, she might have a better life (not certainty)

If we had booked our holiday last week, we might have got a lower price.

If they had given their employees a pay rise, the workers might have stayed on.

When main verb in past

He said he might leave early yesterday.

You told me you might lend lend me your car next weekend.

She thought she might get away with it.

We told him that he might borrow our cottage for the romantic weekend.

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Will

Will

For future events

We use ‚will‘ to say that something happens in future.

Form:

I‚ll go (will go) on holiday to France next year.

You‚ll receive a pay rise next month.

He‚ll be very happy when he hears the good news about his brother.

She will start school next week.

It will be nice weather tomorrow.

We will get married in May this year.

They‚ll come to our wedding in Leeds.

Negative

I won’t (will not) arrive on Monday.

You won’t like that cake.

He won’t be pleased to hear that.

She won’t finish her test on time.

We won’t play the piano any more, I promise.

They won’t come to our party on Friday.

Questions and answers

Will I go there next week? Yes, I will.

Will you love me for ever? Yes, I will.

Will he go to university after college? No, he won’t.

Will she visit us next summer? No, she won’t.

Will they go out with us tonight? Yes, they will.

In 1st conditional (for present and future)

We use 1st conditional to say that something is possible after something else happens.

Form:

If + present simple, will……

If I learn English well, I will go to study in England.

If you study hard, you will get good grades.

If you get good grades at school, your parents will buy you a new computer.

If he leaves work at 6pm, he won’t come home before 7pm.

If she starts saving money now, she’ll have enough for a decent car next year.

If they don’t stop shouting, I’ll call the police!

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Can / Could

Can and Can’t

1) to express ability

I can swim well.

Can you speak English? Yes, I can.

Can he touch-type? No, he can’t (cannot).

Can she drive a lorry?

Can we read Arabic?

Can they fly a plane?

2) to ask or give permission

Can I go out with my friends tonight, please? Yes, you can.

Can we leave early today, please? No, you can’t.

You can go and open a window.

He can play football in the park this afternoon.

She can’t see him any more.

We can’t park here because the road sign says No parking.

They can’t leave their dog in a car while shopping.

3) to make requests and offers

Can you lend me £20, please?

I can call your mum if you want me to.

Can he go out with me, please?

She can do it by herself, can’t she?

We can arrange a holiday for all of us.

Can they let me look after their dog for a weekend, please?

Could and Couldn’t

1) same use as ‚can‘ (less definite in some structures)

I could go and get your shopping for you.

You could lend me your car. Yes, I could.

Could he call me tomorrow evening, please? No, he couldn’t.

She could run fast if she wanted to.

We could go on holiday to Spain this year. ( we still have to decide yes or no)

Could they stop shouting, please? (very polite request)

2) ability in a past

I could speak French when I was younger.

You could play football before the accident.

He could drive before he lost his licence for drink-driving.

She could work for 14 hours in a restaurant when she was 17.

It couldn’t happen when I was a manager here!

We could play tennis for hours when we were in our early 20’s.

Could they speak any English before the language course? No, they couldn’t.

3) Could is also used to say something is/will be possible to happen.

I could start learning English one day, I suppose. (I’m not certain about that).

You could tidy up your room one day.

He could get a better job if he tries.

She couldn’t do it. (it’s impossible for her to do it)

It could rain later. (It’s possible)

Both ‚can‘ and ‚could‘ are “modal verbs“, that means ALWAYS

can/could + verb without ‚to'(bare infinitive).

can speak, can hear, can read, etc.

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Can / May

Asking for permission: Can & May

Can (for present and future)

Can I go home early today, please? Yes, you can. No, you can’t.

Can we visit you on Saturday, please? Yes, you can. No, you can’t.

I can borrow my dad’s car when I want.

I can’t go out tonight, my mum said no.

He can visit his real father any time he wants.

She can play computer games every evening.

We can call our boss when we need to.

They can go to the U.S.A. because they have got the visa but they can’t stay there for more than 3 months.

Could or ‚To be allowed to‘ (for the past)

Asking with ‚Could‘ is more polite than ‚Can‘ .

Could I leave early today, please? Yes, you could. No, you couldn’t.

Could you lend me your car, please? Yes, I could. No, I could not.

I could (was allowed to) drive a lorry before the accident.

I couldn’t (wasn’t allowed to) fly a plane by myself until I passed the test.

He couldn’t come yesterday because his wife said ‚No!‘.

She couldn’t fly because her visa didn’t come on time.

We were allowed to proceed through the customs after the police checked our bags.

They weren’t allowed to call their lawyer.

May (for present and future)

May I go out tonight, please? Yes, you may. No, you may not.

May Tom visit me at the weekend, please? Yes, he may. No, he may not.

‚May‘ is more polite than ‚Could‘ . Use it when asking your boss or any authority!

I may finish work today when I complete this chart my boss said.

‚You may call your lawyer‘, said a policeman.

He may go out camping with us this weekend.

She may not use her mobile for one week.

In a normal conversation, ‚Can‘ and ‚May‘ make no difference in meaning, so do not worry about it too much!

You can/may use any.

BUT don’t forget to say ‚please‘ !!!

You can say: ‚ I’m allowed to….‘ but it’s not very common.

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Me, too/Me, neither

Me, too.

We say ‚me, too‘ when we agree with a positive statement.

Examples:

‚I like apples.‘

‚Me, too.‘ ( I also like apples )

‚He lives in flat.‘

‚Me, too.‘ ( I also live in a flat )

‚She is married.‘

‚Me, too.‘ ( I am married too )

To disagree with a positive statement, we use ‚I don’t.‘

Examples:

‚I work in a bank.‘

‚I don’t‘ ( because I work in a bar )

‚He lives in a house.‘

‚I don’t.‘ ( I live in a flat )

‚She is a nurse.‘

‚I am not.‘ ( I’m a teacher )

Me, neither.

We say ‚ Me, neither‘ when we agree with a negative statement.

Examples:

‚I don’t live in London.‘

‚Me, neither.‘ ( I live in Leeds )

‚He doesn’t like custard.‘

‚Me, neither.‘ ( I don’t like it )

‚She isn’t married.‘

‚Me, neither.‘ ( I am single )

To disagree with a negative statement, we say ‚I do/I have‘ etc.

Examples:

‚I don’t like pizza.‘

‚I do.‘ ( I love pizza )

‚He can’t drive.‘

‚I can.‘ ( I am a good driver )

‚She hasn’t got any pets.‘

‚I have.‘ ( I have a dog )

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This/that/these/those

This, that, these, those

This (singular)

We use it when talking about a person/ thing which is near. We can touch it.

It often appears in a sentence with ‚here/over here‘.

Examples:

‚This pen over here is my father’s favourite.‘ (I’m holding the pen)

‚This is Patrick, my boyfriend.‘ (He’s standing next to the person speaking)

‚This is Jake and this is Carla.‘ (introducing somebody)

That (singular)

We use it when pointing or looking at something in the distance. You can’t reach it.

It often goes with ‚there/over there‘.

Examples:

‚That man over there looks like a famous actor.‘ (the speaker is pointing at something)

‚That car in the car park is stolen.‘ (talking about something not reachable physically)

‚Can you see that girl in the window? That’s my ex-girlfriend Petra.‘

‚I want to talk to you about that argument you had with our supervisor. ‚

These (plural)

Same use as ‚this‘ but for 2 and more subjects.

Examples:

‚These kids over here are my new students.‘ (the kids are standing next to me)

‚These keys I’m holding are from our new flat!‘

‚I don’t like these biscuits. I won’t eat them!‘ (the biscuits are on a plate in front of me)

‚Would you like to try one of these instead?‘ (the speaker is holding a plate of ……)

Those (plural)

Same use as ‚that‘ but for 2 and more subjects.

Examples:

‚Those people, you can see over there, are our new colleagues. Please be nice to them!‘ (the new staffers can’t hear me, they are too far.)

‚Those prawns you bought yesterday were awful! I threw them away.‘ (the prawns are gone)

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There is/are

There is & There are

We use ‚There is‘ & ‚There are‘ to say that something is somewhere.

‚There is‘ for singular and uncountable nouns; ‚There are‘ for plural nouns

Present:

There is a banana in a fridge.

There is some noise in the cellar.

There isn’t (is not) any milk in the house.

There is a cup of coffee on the table.

There are 2 apples in the pantry.

There aren’t any cars on the car park.

Past:

There was a policeman in the street a moment ago.

There was some rubbish in the lake.

There wasn’t any doctor on board.

There were 2 fires in our town last night.

There weren’t any of my friends in the pub on Sunday.

Future:

There will be a public enquiry into the shooting of a suspect.

There will be some people you know at the music festival.

There won’t (will not) be any food in the fridge when you come home next week.

There will be 3 new colleagues in our office when you’re back from Sweden.

Same rules apply to other tenses.

Forming questions and answers.

Present:

Is there any milk left in the fridge? Yes, there is.

Is there anyone outside your door? No, there isn’t.

Are there any of your friends in a pub tonight? Yes, there are.

Are there any books in your bag? No, there aren’t.

Past:

Was there any doctor in the hospital on Saturday? Yes, there was.

Was there any problem with the bus service on Sunday? No, there wasn’t.

Were there any girls in the club last night? Yes, there were.

Were there any bananas left in the basket? No, there weren’t.

Future:

Will there ever be peace on Earth? Yes, there will.

Will there be any people at the music festival? No, there won’t.

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