Irregular verbs are an essential part of English grammar, especially for beginners who want to speak and write correctly. In this guide, you will learn what irregular verbs are, how they work, and how they differ from regular verbs. You will also get a complete list of 200 common irregular verbs with their V1, V2, and V3 forms.
This article will help you understand irregular verbs for beginners, use them correctly, and learn the difference between regular and irregular verbs with simple explanations.
What Are Irregular Verbs? (Easy Definition)
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the normal rule of adding -ed to form the past tense or past participle. Instead of following a fixed pattern, irregular verbs change their forms in different ways. For example: go → went → gone or eat → ate → eaten. These changes must be memorized because they don’t follow any standard rule.
Irregular verbs are commonly used in everyday English. Because of this, learning them early helps beginners understand conversations, grammar lessons, and written English more easily. Unlike regular verbs, which follow predictable spelling rules, irregular verbs behave differently, making them a unique and important part of English grammar.
Irregular Verbs for Beginners (Simple Explanation)
When learning English, irregular verbs for beginners often seem confusing at first because their forms change unpredictably. However, learning them is not as difficult as it seems if you follow a simple method: understand, practice, and remember. Start with the most common irregular verbs because these appear frequently in daily conversations and writing.
For beginners, the best way to learn irregular verbs is through easy examples. For instance: take → took → taken. Say it aloud several times, then try making small sentences: “I take a photo,” “I took a photo yesterday,” “I have taken many photos.” This type of practice helps the forms stay in your memory.
Using irregular verbs in short sentences makes learning more natural. Instead of memorizing randomly, try grouping similar verbs together. For example, sing–sang–sung and ring–rang–rung follow a similar pattern. This helps you learn faster and makes grammar easier to understand.
Conjunctions List
200 Common Irregular Verbs List (V1, V2, V3 Forms)
Below is a complete list of 200 irregular verbs, perfect for beginners who want simple, clear grammar practice.
| V1 (Base Form) | V2 (Past Simple) | V3 (Past Participle) |
|---|---|---|
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| be | was/were | been |
| bear | bore | born |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bet | bet | bet |
| bind | bound | bound |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| bring | brought | brought |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burnt/burned | burnt/burned |
| buy | bought | bought |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| creep | crept | crept |
| cut | cut | cut |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dig | dug | dug |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| 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 |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten/got |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hang | hung | hung |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| kneel | knelt | knelt |
| know | knew | known |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
| leave | left | left |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain |
| light | lit/lighted | lit/lighted |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| pay | paid | paid |
| prove | proved | proven/proved |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| 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 |
| shear | shore | shorn |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slide | slid | slid |
| smell | smelt/smelled | smelt/smelled |
| sneak | snuck | snuck |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spit | spat | spat |
| split | split | split |
| spoil | spoiled/spoilt | spoiled/spoilt |
| spread | spread | spread |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| strike | struck | struck/stricken |
| string | strung | strung |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove | woven |
| weep | wept | wept |
| win | won | won |
| wind | wound | wound |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| write | wrote | written |
| browbeat | browbeat | browbeaten |
| babysit | babysat | babysat |
| bypass | bypassed | bypassed |
| forecast | forecast | forecast |
| gainsay | gainsaid | gainsaid |
| hand-feed | hand-fed | hand-fed |
| handwrite | handwrote | handwritten |
| inlay | inlaid | inlaid |
| interweave | interwove | interwoven |
| mislead | misled | misled |
| misread | misread | misread |
| mishit | mishit | mishit |
| misspell | misspelt/misspelled | misspelt/misspelled |
| outbid | outbid | outbid |
| outdo | outdid | outdone |
| outgrow | outgrew | outgrown |
| outrun | outran | outrun |
| outsell | outsold | outsold |
| outshine | outshone | outshone |
| overeat | overate | overeaten |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| partake | partook | partaken |
| redo | redid | redone |
| repay | repaid | repaid |
| rerun | reran | rerun |
| resell | resold | resold |
| reteach | retaught | retaught |
| rewrite | rewrote | rewritten |
| shoe | shod | shod |
| sight-read | sight-read | sight-read |
| slay | slew | slain |
| slink | slunk | slunk |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| sow | sowed | sown/sowed |
| speed | sped | sped |
| spill | spilt/spilled | spilt/spilled |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| strew | strewed | strewn/strewed |
| strive | strove | striven |
| sublet | sublet | sublet |
| sunburn | sunburnt/sunburned | sunburnt/sunburned |
| telecast | telecast | telecast |
| typecast | typecast | typecast |
| underbid | underbid | underbid |
| undergo | underwent | undergone |
| upset | upset | upset |
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