Why This Matters
Irregular verbs are the rebels of English grammar—they refuse to follow the standard "-ed" pattern that makes regular verbs so predictable. When you're tested on grammar and usage, you're not just being asked to recall that "go" becomes "went." You're being tested on your understanding of verb tense formation, auxiliary verb functions, and how these verbs operate in complex grammatical structures like perfect tenses and reported speech.
These fifteen verbs appear constantly in writing and speech, which means errors with them stand out immediately to readers and graders. Mastering their forms isn't about memorization alone—it's about recognizing why certain verbs function as auxiliaries, how linking verbs differ from action verbs, and when to use past participles versus simple past forms. Don't just memorize the principal parts; know what grammatical role each verb plays and how its irregularity affects sentence construction.
Auxiliary Verbs: The Grammar Workhorses
These verbs do double duty—they carry meaning on their own and help form tenses, questions, and negatives for other verbs. Their auxiliary functions make them essential for constructing complex sentences.
Be (am, is, are, was, were, been)
- Most irregular verb in English—changes form completely based on person, number, and tense
- Functions as both linking verb and auxiliary; connects subjects to complements (She is tired) and forms progressive and passive constructions (She is running, She was seen)
- Being serves as the present participle, completing the full principal parts needed for all tense formations
Have (had)
- Primary auxiliary for perfect tenses—combines with past participles to show completed action (I have eaten, She had left)
- Indicates possession when used as a main verb, but this function appears less frequently on grammar tests
- Had functions as both simple past and past participle, simplifying its irregular pattern
Do (did, done)
- Essential for forming questions and negatives—provides the auxiliary support that main verbs need (Do you understand?, I didn't go)
- Creates emphasis in affirmative statements when stressed (I do believe you)
- Done appears only as past participle; never use it as simple past (I did it, not I done it)
Compare: Have vs. Do as auxiliaries—both help form grammatical structures, but have builds perfect tenses while do handles questions, negatives, and emphasis. If a question asks about tense formation, think have; if it's about sentence transformation, think do.
Verbs of Motion and Direction
These verbs describe physical movement and share a common challenge: their past forms bear no resemblance to their base forms, making them frequent sources of errors.
Go (went, gone)
- "Went" comes from a completely different Old English verb—this suppletive form makes go one of the most irregular verbs
- "Gone" requires an auxiliary; it cannot stand alone as a past tense (She has gone, not She gone)
- Appears in countless idioms (go figure, go ahead), making its correct forms essential for natural expression
Come (came, come)
- Past participle matches the base form—a pattern that causes confusion (She has come, not She has came)
- Indicates movement toward the speaker, contrasting with go's movement away
- Vowel change pattern (come → came) mirrors other irregular verbs like become and overcome
Take (took, taken)
- Forms follow the vowel-shift pattern—base a becomes oo in past and a returns with -en suffix in participle
- Requires "taken" with auxiliaries in perfect tenses (I have taken, never I have took)
- Pairs naturally with "give" in discussions of transfer and exchange
Compare: Go vs. Come—both describe motion, but go moves away from the speaker while come moves toward. Note that come's past participle matches its base form, while gone does not. This distinction frequently appears in error-identification questions.
Verbs of Perception and Cognition
These verbs describe mental processes—seeing, knowing, thinking. Their irregular forms often involve vowel changes that follow recognizable patterns.
See (saw, seen)
- Describes visual perception but extends to understanding (I see what you mean)
- "Seen" never stands alone as past tense—always requires an auxiliary (I have seen, not I seen)
- Vowel pattern (ee → aw → ee + n) appears in similar verbs like eat (ate, eaten)
Know (knew, known)
- Indicates familiarity or awareness—covers both factual knowledge and personal acquaintance
- Follows the ow → ew → own pattern—also seen in grow (grew, grown) and throw (threw, thrown)
- Past participle "known" functions frequently as an adjective (a known fact)
Think (thought)
- Past and past participle are identical—simplifies usage once you learn the single irregular form
- "Thought" contains the same ending as bring (brought), buy (bought), and catch (caught)
- Commonly appears in reported speech and opinion expressions, making correct form essential
Find (found)
- Another verb with identical past and participle forms—reduces memorization burden
- Vowel change pattern (i → ou) mirrors bind (bound) and wind (wound)
- Extends beyond physical discovery to include realization and judgment (I found it interesting)
Compare: See vs. Know—both involve perception, but see is sensory while know is cognitive. Their participle patterns differ: seen requires the auxiliary (has seen), while known often functions as a standalone adjective. Watch for error-identification questions testing seen versus saw.
Verbs of Transfer and Creation
These verbs describe giving, receiving, and making—fundamental human actions that appear constantly in both everyday language and formal writing.
Give (gave, given)
- Describes transfer of possession—often appears in ditransitive constructions with two objects (She gave him the book)
- Vowel pattern (i → a → i + en) matches forgive (forgave, forgiven)
- "Given" frequently functions as a preposition meaning "considering" (Given the circumstances)
Get (got, gotten/got)
- American English uses "gotten" as past participle; British English uses "got" for both past and participle
- Extremely versatile—appears in phrasal verbs (get up, get over) and causative constructions (get it done)
- "Have got" means "have" in British English (I've got a car), adding another layer of usage complexity
Make (made)
- Past and participle forms are identical—one irregular form to learn
- Functions in causative constructions—make + object + base verb (She made him apologize)
- Appears in numerous fixed expressions (make sense, make do, make up)
Compare: Give vs. Get—both involve transfer, but from opposite perspectives. Give transfers away from the subject; get transfers toward. Note that get has dialectal variation (gotten vs. got), while give does not. Questions about American versus British usage often feature get.
Verbs of Communication and Change
These verbs describe speaking and transformation—processes that frequently appear in reported speech constructions and descriptions of development.
Say (said)
- Primary verb for reported speech—introduces direct and indirect quotations
- Irregular form "said" pronounced /sed/—spelling doesn't match pronunciation
- Differs from "tell" in that say doesn't require an indirect object (She said hello vs. She told him hello)
Become (became, become)
- Linking verb indicating transformation—connects subject to new state or condition
- Past participle matches base form—same pattern as come (from which it derives)
- Followed by nouns or adjectives, never adverbs (She became successful, not She became successfully)
Compare: Say vs. Become—both appear frequently in academic writing, but serve different functions. Say introduces information (reported speech), while become describes change (process writing). Both have simple irregular patterns: said for all past forms, become matching the base in the participle.
Quick Reference Table
|
| Auxiliary verb functions | Be, Have, Do |
| Past participle = base form | Come, Become |
| Past = past participle (single irregular form) | Have (had), Make (made), Think (thought), Find (found), Say (said) |
| Three distinct principal parts | Be, Go, See, Know, Take, Give, Get |
| Vowel-shift patterns | Know/knew/known, See/saw/seen, Give/gave/given |
| Linking verbs | Be, Become |
| Dialectal variation | Get (gotten vs. got) |
Self-Check Questions
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Which two verbs share the pattern where the past participle matches the base form, and what common origin explains this similarity?
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Identify three verbs from this list that have identical past tense and past participle forms. What advantage does this pattern offer for usage?
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Compare and contrast have and do as auxiliary verbs—what grammatical functions does each serve, and when would you use one versus the other?
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A student writes: "I seen the movie yesterday" and "She has went home." Identify the error pattern in both sentences and explain the correct forms.
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If asked to write about a transformation or change in state, which verb from this list would be most appropriate, and what grammatical category does it belong to? What must follow this verb—and what cannot?