English grammar · Irregular verbs
Go — went — gone, do — did — done: English irregular verbs do not always form the past simple and past participle by adding -ed. Start with this list of common verbs, understand when to use each form, then practise in GoNative in your browser or on your phone.
Type the past simple and past participle of each verb. Check the correct forms after each answer, then see your result and the verbs to review.
Common English verbs with their past simple and past participle forms and meanings.
| Base form · V1 | Past Simple · V2 | Past Participle · V3 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was / were | been | exist; describe a state |
| become | became | become | change into; start to be |
| begin | began | begun | start |
| break | broke | broken | damage; separate into pieces |
| bring | brought | brought | carry here |
| buy | bought | bought | pay for something |
| choose | chose | chosen | select |
| come | came | come | move here |
| cut | cut | cut | divide with a blade |
| do | did | done | perform an action |
| drink | drank | drunk | swallow a liquid |
| eat | ate | eaten | consume food |
| get | got | got / gotten | receive; obtain |
| give | gave | given | hand something to someone |
| go | went | gone | move somewhere |
| have | had | had | possess |
| make | made | made | create; produce |
| read | read | read | understand written words |
| take | took | taken | pick up; carry |
| write | wrote | written | put words on paper |
Compare three forms of the same verb: write — wrote — written. Each has a different role in a sentence.
The base form of the verb: write. In the table, it appears without to: write, not to write.
I write a message every day.She can write in English.With he, she and it in the present simple, most verbs take -s: she writes. After can, will and did, leave off -s: she can write.
The form used for the simple past tense: write → wrote.
I wrote a message yesterday.She wrote a letter last week.After did and didn’t, use V1: Did you write? I didn’t write. Be forms questions and negatives without did: Was he at home? He wasn’t at home.
The third form of the verb: write → written.
I have written a message.The message was written yesterday.Perfect constructions need V3 after have, has or had: I have written. Wrote is the past simple form: I wrote.
These patterns help you organise your revision. They are memory aids, not rules for predicting every verb.
Learn one spelling, then notice the tense in the sentence.
Remember the changed form once and use it in two different constructions.
The past simple changes; the participle returns to the base spelling.
These examples share an i–a–u vowel pattern. Recall the whole sequence.
Did you went?
Did you go?
Did already marks the past. In this question, go stays in V1.
I have saw it.
I have seen it.
Saw is the past simple; the present perfect needs have seen.
She buyed a book.
She bought a book.
The past simple of buy is bought. Learn the sequence buy — bought — bought.
Choose five verbs from the table. Say their forms aloud and write one sentence with each.
Cover V2 and V3 and try to write them from memory. Uncover the table and check each form separately.
Compare I wrote yesterday and I have written. Return to the verbs you missed on another day.
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An irregular verb has a past simple or past participle that does not follow the usual -ed pattern. For example, work — worked — worked is regular, while go — went — gone is irregular.
Do — did — done. Use did in a past simple statement, such as I did my homework, and done with have/has/had, such as I have done my homework.
V2 is the past simple form: I wrote yesterday. V3 is the past participle, used in constructions such as I have written and It was written. Some verbs have identical V2 and V3 spellings, but their roles still differ.
Start with verbs you need in everyday sentences, such as be, have, do, go, get, make and take. This table gives you a manageable starting set of 20; it is not a complete list.
Choose a set and type the past simple and past participle of each verb. You can see the result and review mistakes without signing up. An account lets you save selected verbs and keep learning in the browser or app.