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Another way to learn irregular verbs

errorman

One way to learn irregular verbs is to divide them into groups.

According to some grammar books, irrregular English verbs DO seem to have some type of regularity.  Here are some tips along with a couple of activities.

CLASS 1

In this group, verbs remain nearly the same and change final -d for -t.

For example: build> built > built.

Created by blogdeserena

Irregular verbs class 1

Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the past simple and the past participle

Activity by Serena

Peter __ all his wages and didn't plan for the future.(spend)

When they arrived, we had already ___ all their money on drinks. (spend)

My aunt really ___ her son. She gave him everything he wanted. (spoil)

Gran ___ us a beautiful Christmas card. (send)

I have just ___ them the receipt. (send)

The banks have traditionally ___ money to people to buy properties. (lend)

They ___ lots of new hotels. (build)

 

The company has __ a new motorway to avoid traffic jams. (build)

Why did you say that? You have ___ the fun for everybody! (spoil)

She ___ with the press in two minutes. (deal)

My brother has already ___ with this problem. (deal)

My dad ___ me some money to buy a new car. (lend)

CLASS 2

Verbs are the same in Past Simple and Past Participle, receive an -d/-ed/t suffix but change one or more vowels.

For example: leave > left> left

Created by blogdeserena

Irregular verbs class 2

Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the past simple and the past participle

Activity by Serena

The receptionist __ the way to the bedrooms. (lead)

My grandmother always ___ that grandad was very handsome. (say)

He's just ___ the office. (leave)

An ancient Roman villa was ___ by the archaeologist. (find)

I haven't seen Jess this afternoon. I think she ___ early. (leave)

I hadn't ___ about Jenny's birthday. (think)

The team ___ the game in the last minute. (lose)

He has __ the team to victory because he always gives them support. (lead)

When she woke up the next day she ___ dizzy and sick. What had happened the previous night? (feel)

My father always __ us stories before we went to sleep. (tell)

Peter ___ he had made a mistake. (think)

The police __ the robber before he escaped. (catch)

My grandfather ___ against some the most famous boxers of his time. (fight)

He was arrested because he had __ stolen property. (sell)

I have already __ that! Why do you repeat everything I say? (say)

We have already ___ the food for the party. What do you mean you're going to cancel it? (buy)

I ___ the rat by its tail. (hold)

I've __ my keys. (lose)

She had __ for everything. (pay)

Before he lost the match, he had ___ for hours. (fight)

He __ German at a language school. (teach)

We ___ the loan on the house last year. (pay)

My grandparents __ the house before the WWII. So it's very old. (buy)

They have ___ the lion that escaped from the zoo. (catch)

The supermaket had __ the shopping home before they arrived. (bring)

He fell off a tree and injured his leg. The branch hadn't __ his weight. (hold)

When we were kids we ___ a wallet full of money and credit cards. Of course we immediately took it to the police station. (find)

That shop ___ home-made food but they couldn't compete against the supermarket. (sell)

Before she retired, she had ___ maths for thirty years. (teach)

You have ___ me hundreds of lies! I don't believe you anymore. (tell)

Tom __ the hungry dog home. (bring)

He had __ happy about the tests and didn't expect to fail. (feel)

CLASS 3

In this group the Past Simple usually has -ed but the Past Participle had -(e)n.

This is a small group and I suppose I’ll be adding some more if I can remember any.

For example: show > showed > shown although for the past participle you can usually use both forms, -ed and -wn.

Created by blogdeserena

Irregular verbs class 3

Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the past simple and the past participle

Activity by Serena

The brave little tailor claimed he had ___ wealthiest men of the kingdom. (sew)

The Liverpool - Real Madrid final was a real disaster as police __ confusion among the football fans of both teams. (sow)

She quickly __ the rip in her dress and went off to the job interview. (sew)

We’ve ___ that field with wheat. (sow)

I ___ them where the gun was. (show)

What surprised me was the comparison with that first photo of the man they'd ___ us the other week. (show)

CLASS 4

One or both of the forms is/are completely different.

The past tense doesn’t have a suffix although it may change a vowel, but the Past Participle has an -(e)n suffix and the base vowel changes or both changes may happen.

For example: give > gave > given

Created by blogdeserena

Irregular verbs class 4

Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the past simple and the past participle

Activity by Serena

Please turn the telly down the telly! You've ___ up the baby. (wake)

The man ___ a letter and left. (write)

She __ a house that was exactly like the house she lived in when she was a girl. (draw)

I ___ up several times this night. I don't seem to be able to get any decent sleep. (wake)

Mary was so good at drawing that in an hour she had ___ lots of illustrations for the cards. (draw)

When I was little I was __ by a dog. (bite)

My father __ the most amazing vegetables on his small plot of land. (grow)

He ___ the apple tree until the ripe fruit fell to the ground. (shake)

He couldn't take part in the game because he had __ his leg. (break)

Our father had ___ us permission to stay out until late. (give)

Tom and Jack had ___ through several towns before they reached the seaside resort. (drive)

At school we  ___ a horrible uniform. (wear)

His shirt didn't fit him because he had ___ during his illness. (grow)

He accidently ___ his grandmother's precious vase. (break)

She __ into a juicy apple. (bite)

Somebody ___ a stone through the window. (throw)

Peter ___ out the eighty candles on his birthday cake. (blow)

He's ___ six champion horses this year. (ride)

The clothes that are ___ away are frequently put in landfills. (throw)

I don't want this skirt. It's already been ___. (wear)

The lake had ___ during the winter storm. (freeze)

They had __ to go to Greece for their holidays. (choose)

Children ___ their bicycles to school before. Now there's too much traffic. (ride)

They ___ along the road until they reached the park. (drive)

The trees were __ over by the storm. (blow)

Who has __ the mixture? They have ruined it! (shake)

The woman ___ two coins and a phone number. (give)

I ___ the chocolate cake because it's my favourite. (choose)

I'm ready to leave. I've just ___ the assignment and hope to get a good mark. (write)

The mountaineer ___ to death before they managed to rescue him. (freeze)

CLASS 5

In this group the vowel changes in one or both. There are no other changes.

For example: begin > began > begun

Created by blogdeserena

Irregular verbs class 5

Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the past simple and the past participle

Activity by Serena

She had ___ her best number when the show was interrupted by a man shouting. (sing)

Last Christmas we ___ carols with the Jones family. (sing)

Jenny Smith ___ across the Channel when she was sixteen. (swim)

Sam ___ her the keys back and said he was sorry. (give)

His arms were aching. He had ___ for over an hour. (swim)

By the time she was 25 she had already ___ a successful novelist. (become)

It's no wonder he went on trip around the world after he had___ all that money on the lottery. (win)

The dog __ all the water. It was very thirsty. (drink)

The show had ___ by the time we reached the building. (begin)

Real Madrid __ although Liverpool played really well. (win)

He __ rich during the crisis. (become)

I'm not surprised you feel ill. You've __ all the wine. (drink)

He ___ to speak and everybody looked at him in amazement. (begin)

Her wealthy parents-in-law had ___ them a house on the cost.(give)

CLASS 6

All the verbs are the same!

For example: put > put > put

Other verbs of this group are: burst, cut, hit, let and set.

CLASS 7

In this group we see verbs that don’t share any features. As the verbs below.

For example: go > went > gone – Be > was/were > been

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