Irregular verbs

Summary
Classification of irregular verbs

1) invariable verbs

2) Invariant verbs in the past

3) Completely different verbs

Classification of irregular verbs

These verbs can be classified into three main groups:

Invariable verbs

That is, verbs whose past tenses are equal to the infinitive.

INFINITIVE (put)
PRETERITE (put)
PAST PARTICIPLE (put)
put: put
put: put
put: put
 Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
bet bet bet bet
burst burst burst burst, explode
cost cost cost Cost
cut cut cut cut
fit fit fit to fit
hit hit hit hit
bid bid bid bid, ask
cast cast cast melt, cast
forecast forecast forecast foresee
hurt hurt hurt hurt, hurt
knit knit knit to knit
let let let leave, allow
put put put set
read read read read
shut shut shut close
spread spread spread spread out
outbid outbid outbid improve, bid
overbid overbid overbid bid, offer too much
quit quit quit abandon
set set set place, fix
shed shed shed take off, shed, pour, spill
shred shred shred chop, crumble, strip
slit slit slit tear
split split split split, split, crack
sweat sweat sweat sweat
underbid underbid underbid offer less than
upset upset upset overturn

Invariable verbs in the past

That is, verbs whose tenses in the past and participle are equal and different from infinity.

INFINITIVE (bring)
PRETERITE (brought)
PAST PARTICIPLE (brought).
bring: bring (To bring = bring)
brought: suit
brought: brought.
 Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
bless bent bent twist, bend, bend
build built built build up
burn burnt burnt burn, burn
creep crept crept crawl, crawl
deal dealt dealt traffic
dream dreamt dreamt Sound
dwell dwelt dwelt inhabit, reside
read leant leant lean on
leap leapt leapt skip
learn learnt learnt to learn
lend slow slow lend
I know lost lost to lose
mean meant meant signify
rend rent rent rip
send sent sent Send
smell smelt smelt smell
spell spelt spelt spell out
spend spent spent spend
spill spilt spilt spill, pour
unbend unbent unbent loosen, straighten

Within this same group can be included some verbs that add t to form the past tense and the past
participle, but which also modify its tonic vowel (the one in which the accent falls when pronouncing it).
These verbs include the following:

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

feel felt felt feel, feel
keep kept kept keep, keep
kneel knelt knelt kneel down
leave left left leave, leave
meet met met find
sleep slept slept sleep
sweep swept swept sweep
weep wept wept cry

Some verbs may be included in this group which, as an exception and in addition to modifying their
tonic vowels, form the past ending in d instead of t, such as the following:
 Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
bleed bled bled to bleed
feed fed fed feed, graze
flee fled fled run away
hear heard heard hear
lead led led lead
breed bred bred educate, breed, breed
mislead misled misled disorient, mislead
slide slid slid slip, slide
speed sped sped speed up

Completely different verbs

That is, verbs whose infinitive, past tense and past participle are spelled and pronounced differently.

INFINITIVE (break)
PRETERIT (broke)
PAST PARTICIPLE (broken)
break: break
broke: broke
broken: broken

Verbs that form the past tense with ED and the past participle with N

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

mow mowed mown reap
saw sawed sawn saw
sew sewed sewn sew
Show showed shown show teach
sow sowed sown plant
strew strewed strewn spread

Verbs that form the past tense by changing the tonic vowel and adding N to the past participle
Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
shake shook shaken shake, shudder
take took taken take
choose chose chosen to choose
drive drove driven drive
ride rode ridden ride, ride
stride strode stridden stride
write wrote written to write
give gave given give
grow grew grown grow, cultivate
know knew known know to know
rise rose risen get up, get out the sun, go back
blow blew blown blow
throw threw trown throw
see saw seen watch
bite bit bitten to bite
hide hid hidden hide
draw drew drawn draw, drag, attract
forsake forsook forsaken Leave
overtake overtook overtaken reach something (reach)
partake childbirth partaken take part
undertake undertook undertaken undertake
arise arose arisen arise
overdrive overdrove overdriven excite, rush
bestride bestrode bestridden straddle.
override overrode overriden dominate, subordinate, pass over
smite smote smitten knock down
strive strove striven strive, dispute
thrive throve thriven thrive, prosper
forgive forgave forgiven forgive
misgive misgave misgiven make fear (or doubt), fill with doubts
overthrow overthrew overtrhrown overturn
slay slew slain kill murder
foresee foresaw foreseen foresee
cool cool chidden scold, scold
overdraw overdrew overdrawn exaggerate, overturn
withdraw withdrew withdrawn remove
We will include in this classification those verbs that modify their tonic vowel in the past tense and add
"en" to the infinitive to form its past participle. Are these:

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

eat tie eaten eat
forbid forbade forbidden ban
befall befell befallen happen

Verbs that form the past tense by changing the tonic vowel and add the same "in" to form the past
participle

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

break broke broken to break
forget forgot forgotten forget
freeze froze frozen freeze
speak spoke spoken talk
steal stole stolen steal, steal
weave wove woven weave, braid
wake woke woken wake
fall fell fail fall out
beat beat beatten hit
beget begot begotten engender
bespeak bespoke bespoken praise, entrust
browbeat browbeat browbeaten intimidate

Verbs that only add "n" to form the past participle:

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

lie lay lain lie down, lie down, lie down
swear swore sworn swear
tear tore torn tear apart
wear wore worn wear, wear
shear shore shorn shear
forswear forswore forsworn deny, perjure, abjure

Verbs that add NE to form the past participle

 Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
forage forbore forborne abstain, endure
do did donate do
go went gone to go
bear bore terminal carry, bear
forego forewent foregone give in, give up, give up
outdo outdid outdone exceed, exceed
outgo outwent outgone exceed, overtake, get ahead
overdo overdid overdone exaggerate, exceed, exceed
underdo underdid underdone do less than you should, grill little.
undergo underwent undergone suffer (operation, change, etc.)
undo undid undone undo

We will add to this classification three verbs that only modify the tonic vowel in the preterite, the past
participle being equal to its infinitive.

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

eat came eat come
become became become become, become
overcome overcame overcome win

Verbs with three totally different tenses These verbs only change their tonic vowel for a for the past tense
and u for the past participle.

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish

begin began begun start
drink drank drunk to drink
ring rang rung Sound
run ran run to run
shrink shrank shrunk shrink
sing sang sung sing
sink sank sunk sink
spring sprang sprung jump, sprout
stink stank stunk stink
swim swam swum swim
outrun outran outrun overtake, run more than

Unclassifiable irregular verbs

 Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
be was / were been be be
swell swelled swollen swell up
fly flew flown fly
tread trod trodden step on

List of English irregular verbs

Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
Abide Abode Abode Inhabiting, Supporting
Arise Arose Arisen wake
Awake Awoke Awaken lift up
Be Was / were Been To be
Bear Bore Bore / Born To bear, to bear (to be born)
Beat Beat Beaten Hit
Become Became Become Reaching or Being
Begin Began Begun Start
Bend Bent Bent Bend
Bereave Bereft / Bereaved Bereft / Bereaved Deprive
Beseech Besought Besought Supplicate (literary)
Bet Bet Bet Bet
Bid Babde Bidden Say beg
Bid Bid Bid Bid, Bid
Bind Bound Bound Tie / Unite
Bite Bit Bitten To bite
Bleed Bled Bled To bleed
Blow Blew Blown Blow
Break Broke Broken To break
Bring Brought Brought Bring
Build Built Built Build
Burn Burnt / Burned Burnt / Burned Burn
Burst Burst Burst Burst
Buy Bought Bought To buy
Cast Cast Cast Throw
Catch Caught Caught Grab or Grab
Chide Chid Chidden / chid Reprimand
Choose Chose Chosen To choose
Cleave Cleft kleft Cleave
Cling Clung Clung Adhere
Eat Came Eat Come
Cost Cost Cost Cost
Creep Crept Crept Crawl
Cut Cut Cut Cut
Deal Dealt Dealt Try
Dig Dug Dug Dig
Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
Dive Dove Dived Dive in, dive in
Do Did Donate Do
Draw Drew Drawn To draw
Dream Dreamt / Dreamed Deamt / Dreamed Sound
Drink Drank Drunk To drink
Drive Drove Driven Drive
Dwell Dwelt Dwelt Reside
Eat Tie Eaten Eat
Fall Fell Fail Fall down
Feed Fed Fed Feed
Feel Felt Felt Feel
Fight Fought Fought To struggle
Find Found Found Find
Flee Fled Fled Run away
Fling Flung Flung Throw
Fly Flew Flown Fly
Forbid Forbad / Forbade Forbidden Ban
Forget Forgot Forgotten Forget
Forgive Forgave Forgiven Forgive
Freeze Froze Frozen Freeze
Get Got Gotten Get
Give Gave Given Give
Go Went Gone To go
Grind Ground Ground Grind, crush
Grow Grew Grown Grow
Hang Hung Hung Hang up
Have Had Had To have
Hear Heard Heard hear
Hew Hewed Hewn Chopping, carving stone (rare)
Hide Hid Hidden Hide
Hit Hit Hit Hit
Hold Held Held Hold
Hurt Hurt Hurt Hurt
Keep Kept Kept Save, keep
Kneel Knelt Knelt Kneel down
Knit Knit Knit Knit
Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
Know Knew Known Know or Know
Lade Laded Laden Load (rare, except participle)
Lay Laid Laid Put or Extend
Lead Led Led Lead
Lead Led Led Guide
Read Leant Leant Lean on)
Leap Leapt Leapt Skip
Learn Learnt Learnt To learn
Leave Left Left Leave or Abandon
Lend Slow Slow Lend
Let Let Let Allow
Lie Lay Lain Lie down
Lie Lied Lied Lie
Light Lit Lit To illuminate
I know Lost Lost To lose
Make Made Made Build, do (physical things)
Mean Meant Meant To mean
Meet Met Met Meet someone
Melt Melted Molten / Melted Melt (metals)
Mow Mowed Mown Reap
Pay Paid Paid Pay
Put Put Put Set
Quit Quit Quit Leave, leave
Read Read Read Read
Rend Rent Rent Split, tear
Rid Rid Rid To rid
Ride Rode Ridden Mount
Ring Rang Rung Ring, ring the bell
Rise Rose Risen Raise or Raise
Run Ran Run To run
Saw Sawed Sawn (a) saw
Say Said Said Say
See Saw Seen Watch
Seek Sought Sought Look for
Sell Sold Sold To sell
Send Sent Sent Send
Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
Set Set Set Place
Sew Sewed Sewn Sew
Shake Shook Shaken Shake, shake
Shear Shore Shorn Shear
Shed Shed Shed Shine
Shine Shone Shone Shine
Shoe Shod Shod Shoe
Shoot Shot Shot Shoot
Show Showed Shown To show
Shrink Shrank Shrunk / Shrunken shrink shy away
Shut Shut Shut close
Sing Sang Sung Sing
Sink Sank Sunk Sink)
Sit Sat Sat Sit down
Slay Slew Slain Kill (literary)
Sleep Slept Slept Sleep
Slide Slid Slid Slide, slide
Sling Slung Slung Pull (with slingshot)
Slink Slunk Slunk Sneak out
Slit Slit Slit Crack
Smell Smelt Smelt Smell
Smite Smote Smitten Hit
Sow Sowed Sown Plant
Speak Spoke Spoken Talk
Speed Sped Sped Speed up
Spell Spelt Spelt Spell out
Spend Spent Spent Spend or Employ
Spill Spilt Spilt To spill
Spin Spun Spun Spinning
Spit Spat Spat Spit
Split Split Split Depart, Hender
Spoil Spoilt Spoilt Spoil, pamper
Spread Spread Spread Spread
Spring Sprang Sprung Sprout, jump
Stand Stood Stood Stand or stand
Steal Stole Stolen Steal
Infinitive Past Participle Spanish
Stick Stuck Stuck Paste, fix
Sting Stung Stung Chop
Stink Stank Stunk Stink
Strew Strewed Strewn Spread, spray
Stride Strode Stridden Striding
Strike Struck Struck / Striken Hitting, attacking
String Strung Strung Stringing, tuning a musical instrument
Strive Strove Striven Strive, manage
Swear Swore Sworn Swear
Sweep Swept Swept Sweep
Swell Swelled Swollen / swelled Swell
Swim Swam Swum Swim
Swing Swung Swung Swing
Take Took Taken Take
Teach Taught Taught Teach
Tear Tore Torn Rip
Tell Told Told Tell
Think Thought Thought Think
Thive Throve Thriven Flourish, prosper
Throw Threw Thrown Throw Throw Throw
Thrust Thrust Thrust Tuck, push insert
Tread Trod Trodden Step
Understand Understood Understood Understand
Wake Woke Woken Wake up
Wear Wore Worn To wear
Weave Wove Woven To knit
Weep Wept Wept Sob
Win Won Won Win
Wind Wound Wound Wind up wind up
Wring Wrung Wrung Twist
Write Wrote Written to write