GROUPING IRREGULAR VERBS
➢ Grouping irregular verbs into "families" is one of the smartest ways to hack your memory.
➢ There are several common irregular verb families grouped by their phonetic and spelling shifts.
❖ THE IMMUTABLE FAMILY (NO CHANGE):
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BET BET BET
BROADCAST BROADCAST BROADCAST
BURST BURST BURST
COST COST COST
CUT CUT CUT
HIT HIT HIT
HURT HURT HURT
LET LET LET
PUT PUT PUT
SET SET SET
SHUT SHUT SHUT
SPLIT SPLIT SPLIT
SPREAD SPREAD SPREAD
1) THE MOST COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BE WAS/WERE BEEN
DO DID DONE
GET GOT GOT / GOTTEN (US)
GO WENT GONE
HAVE HAD HAD
MAKE MADE MADE
TAKE TOOK TAKEN
2) THE REGULAR/IRREGULAR PAST PARTICIPLE FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
SIMPLE US UK
BURN BURNED BURNED BURNT
DREAM DREAMED DREAMED DREAMT
GET GOT GOTTEN GOT
LEARN LEARNED LEARNED LEARNT
SHOW SHOWED SHOWED SHOWN
SMELL SMELLED SMELLED SMELT
SPELL SPELLED SPELLED SPELT
SPILL SPILLED SPILLED SPILT
HANGED HANGED DIFFERENT
HANG HUNG HUNG MEANING
3) THE DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATION FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
DRIVE DROVE DRIVEN
HEAR HEARD HEARD
HIDE HID HID
MEAN MEANT MEANT
MEET MET MET
READ READ READ
RIDE RODE RIDDEN
RISE ROSE RISEN
SAY SAID SAID
WRITE WROTE WRITTEN
4) THE SHORTENED VOWEL FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
CREEP CREPT CREPT
KEEP KEPT KEPT
SLEEP SLEPT SLEPT
SWEEP SWEPT SWEPT
WEEP WEPT WEPT
FEED FED FED
FLEE FLED FLED
LEAD LED LED
5) THE PAST PARTICIPLE “D” FAMILY :
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
FIND FOUND FOUND
HOLD HELD HELD
LAY LAID LAID
PAY PAID PAID
SELL SOLD SOLD
SLIDE SLID SLID
STAND STOOD STOOD
TELL TOLD TOLD
UNDERSTAND UNDERSTOOD UNDERSTOOD
6) THE “D – T” SHIFT FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BEND BENT BENT
BUILD BUILT BUILT
LEND LENT LENT
SEND SENT SENT
SPEND SPENT SPENT
7) THE PAST PARTICIPLE “EN” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BEAT BEAT BEATEN
BITE BIT BITTEN
EAT ATE EATEN
FALL FELL FALLEN
FORBID FORBADE FORBIDDEN
FORGET FORGOT FORGOTTEN
FORGIVE FORGAVE FORGIVEN
GIVE GAVE GIVEN
SEE SAW SEEN
SHAKE SHOOK SHAKEN
8) THE PAST SIMPLE “EW” => PAST PARTICIPLE “WN” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BLOW BLEW BLOWN
DRAW DREW DRAWN
FLY* FLEW FLOWN
GROW GREW GROWN
KNOW KNEW KNOWN
THROW THREW THROWN
* Although FLY doesn’t follow the infinitive pattern, it belongs here due to its past simple and past participle.
9) THE PAST PARTICIPLE “G” FAMILY
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
DIG DUG DUG
STING STUNG STUNG
SWING SWUNG SWUNG
10) THE “I – A – U” OR “I – U – U” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE “I” PAST SIMPLE “A” PAST PARTICIPLE “U”
BEGIN BEGAN BEGUN
DRINK DRANK DRUNK
RING RANG RUNG
SING SANG SUNG
SHRINK SHRANK SHRUNK
SINK SANK SUNK
SPRING SPRANG SPRUNG
STINK STANK STUNK
SWIM SWAM SWUM
STICK STUCK STUCK
STRIKE STRUCK STRUCK
11) THE PAST PARTICIPLE “N” FAMILY
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
LIE LAY LAIN
RUN RAN RUN
SHINE SHONE SHONE
WIN WON WON
12) THE “O-A-O” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BECOME BECAME BECOME
COME CAME COME
13) THE RHYMING SIMPLE PAST “O” - PAST PARTICIPLE “EN” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BREAK BROKE BROKEN
CHOOSE CHOSE CHOSEN
FREEZE FROZE FROZEN
SPEAK SPOKE SPOKEN
STEAL STOLE STOLEN
WAKE WOKE WOKEN
14) THE “UGHT” FAMILY:
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
BRING BROUGHT BROUGHT
BUY BOUGHT BOUGHT
CATCH CAUGHT CAUGHT
FIGHT FOUGHT FOUGHT
SEEK SOUGHT SOUGHT
TEACH TAUGHT TAUGHT
THINK THOUGHT THOUGHT
15) THE FINAL “T” FAMILY :
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
DEAL DEALT DEALT
FEEL FELT FELT
KNEEL KNELT KNELT
LEAVE LEFT LEFT
LIGHT LIT LIT
LOSE LOST LOST
SHOOT SHOT SHOT
SIT SAT SAT
SPIT SPAT SPAT
16) THE PAST PARTICIPLE “RN” FAMILY
INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
SWEAR SWORE SWORN
TEAR TORN TORN
WEAR WORN WORN