2. • Verbs have different forms.
• The different forms a verb can take include the base
form, the way it is listed in the dictionary;
The form for past tense, used alone for simple past
tense
The past participle, used with auxiliary verbs and
modals for different tenses
The present participle, used for progressive and
perfect tenses
The –s form, used for the third person singular
pronoun case
3. • Here is a table of the different forms of some
common verbs.
• Notice that some are regular, and therefore follow
rules
• Whereas others are irregulars, and their conjugations
do not follow a set pattern
4. Base Form Past Tense Past
Participle
Present
Participle
-s Form
Talk Talked Talked Talking Talks
Have Had Having Having Has
Listen Listened Listened Listening Listens
Engage Engaged Engaged Engaging Engages
Speak Spoke Spoken Speaking Speaks
Rise Rose Risen Rising Rises
Run Ran Ran Running Runs
Eat Ate Eaten Eating Eats
5. • Regular verbs are verbs that form their past and past
participle forms by adding d or ed to the base form.
• When forming the past and past participle of regular verbs, do
not make common mistake of leaving off the -d or –ed ending.
• Pay particular attention to the forms of the verbs ask, attack,
drown, prejudice, risk, suppose, and use.
Example :
Nonstandard : We use to live in Bakersfield.
Standard : We used to live in Bakersfield.
6. • For irregular verbs, there is no formula to predict
how an irregular verb will form its past-tense and
past-participle forms
• There are over 250 irregular verbs in English.
Although they do not follow a formula
• We use irregular verbs a lot when speaking, less
when writing
7. Some of the examples are:
• break, broke, broken
• cut, cut, cut
• run, ran, run
• meet, met, met
• come, came, come
• repay, repaid, repaid
• swim, swam, swum
13. • For some verbs ending in a vowel plus y, add ed.
14. • For two-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a
consonant other than w, x, or y, double the last
consonant and add ed when the stress is on the last
syllable.
15. • For verbs ending in a consonant plus y, change
the y to i and add ed.
16. • For verbs ending in ic, change the c to ck and add ed.
17. • But you should note the following points:
1. Some verbs can be both regular and
irregular, for example:
learn, learned, learned
learn, learnt, learnt
18. • Some verbs change their meaning depending on
whether they are regular or irregular, for example
"to hang":
19. Exercises
A. Most of the following sentences contain errors in
the use of past or past participle forms of verbs. If a
verb form is incorect, give the correct form.
Examples :
1. Weren’t these parts over two months
ago?
Answer : ordered
order
20. 1. Oh, no, you were suppose to answer questions on
both sides of the test!
Answer : supposed
2. You use to work for Mr. Hall’s lawn service.
Answer : used
3. Hadn’t she check the gas sausage?
Answer : checked
4. Before arriving in Santa Fe, the wagon train had survive
every sort of hardship.
Answer : survived
21. B. Change the verbs in brackets into past tense. Some are
regular and some are irregular.
Yesterday (to be) a busy day. I (wake) up at 6
a.m, (have) breakfast quickly and then I (go)
to work. I (finish) at noon and then (eat)
some lunch. Afterwards, I (drive) to Desa Ilmu
and (buy) a pink paint and then (paint)
my bedroom. After cleaning all the mess, I (feel) tired
so I (eat) dinner quickly, (yawn) and (go)
to bed!
was woke
had went
finished ate
drove
bought painted
felt
ate yawned
went