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In English, we all know that words are divided into various types. These types are adjectives, nouns, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs.
Verbs are one of the most important parts of a sentence. It is a part of a sentence that describes what a subject is actually doing. A verb indicates the physical action or any occurrence that is happening in a sentence by the subject or the doer.
Verbs are also of various types depending on the type of action which is happening in the sentence. For example, Auxiliary Verbs, modal verbs, phrasal verbs, linking verbs, and many more.
Verbs are also classified on the basis of their behavior when used in a specific context. The four sub-divided parts of verbs are :
- Regular Verbs
- Irregular Verbs
- Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In this article, we will be learning about Irregular Verbs.
What are Irregular Verbs?
These are the verbs that do not follow any specific rule for grammar or more specifically any type of conjugation. We can also say that any verb formed not in a normal way is called an Irregular Verb.
A regular verb can easily follow the grammatical rules and the rules of conjugation. Hence, one can easily tell by seeing these verbs that whether the action is happening currently or in the past. Therefore, these verbs can be easily used and conjugated. For example, the past form of the regular verb “greet” is “greeted”. Here we see that just by adding “ed” to the regular verb, we converted it into a past tense verb. Also, we can make a continuous form by just adding “ing” to the regular verb. For example, “greeting” is a continuous form of the regular verb “greet”.
On the other hand, in Irregular Verbs, we don’t necessarily add “ed” to make that verb in past tense. For example, the past form of the regular verb “read” is “read” only. Similarly, the past tense form of the regular verb “arise” is “arose” and not “arised”.
Thus, these verbs are called Irregular Verbs because there is no certain rule to make them into past, past participle, or continuous form. The general rule is that by adding an “ed” we can transform a verb into past tense or past participle form very easily.
Irregular verbs are also of various types. Now we will learn about the type of irregular verbs.
Types of Irregular Verbs
Irregular Verbs are divided into sub-parts depending on their spelling and their usage in sentences.
1. Irregular Verbs with the same spelling :
These verbs have the same spelling as the original verb across all tenses and forms. Some examples include cut, put, bet, set, shed, thrust, split, hit, and many more. These verbs remain the same in their past tense form as well as their past participle tense form.
2. Irregular Verbs with the same past and past participle form :
These verbs have the same simple past tense and past participle tense but different original words. Some examples include catch which has past and past participle form as caught, light which has past and past participle form as lit, which has past and past participle form as brought, and find which has past and past participle form as found. Similarly, there are many words that fall under this category.
3. Irregular Verbs with different spellings :
These are the types of irregular verbs that have different spellings for simple past form, past participle form, and the original verb. Thus, there is no similarity in spelling that exists in this type of irregular verb.
Some examples are, sing which has past tense as sang and past participle form sung, ring which has past tense as rang and past participle form as a rung, a ride which has past tense as rode and past participle form as ridden and many more.
Now let us observe these Irregular Verbs and their patterns.
Common Patterns of Irregular Verbs
As we have observed that in general, the ending of past and past participle forms of verbs is by using “t”, “ght, “ne”, “d” or “ck”. For example “sweep” has its past and past participle form as “swept”. Also, “sell” has its past and past participle form as “sold”.
In some cases, we have seen that the past participle form has “en” added at the end of it. For example, “eat” has a past participle form as “eaten”, “freeze” has a past participle form as “frozen” and “do” has past participle form as “done”.
In some cases, we have seen that the original word, past tense, and past participle tens are completely the same. For example “put”, “cut”, and “set”.
Thus, with the help of this article, we have understood Irregular Verbs and its usage in English grammar. We also learned various patterns of irregular verbs and how to identify them.
FAQs of Irregular Verbs
What are Irregular Verbs?
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard rules for conjugation in the past tense and past participle forms. Instead of adding '-ed' to the base form, these verbs undergo changes in spelling or remain the same. For example, the verb 'go' changes to 'went' in the past tense, which is different from regular verbs like 'walk,' which becomes 'walked.'
Which is an irregular verb?
An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow the typical pattern of adding '-ed' to form its past tense and past participle. For instance, 'sing' is an irregular verb because it changes to 'sang' in the past tense and 'sung' as the past participle. Other common irregular verbs include 'break' (broke, broken), 'see' (saw, seen), and 'take' (took, taken).
How to teach irregular verbs?
Teaching irregular verbs can be made easier by using a variety of engaging methods. Start with a list of common irregular verbs and practice them in context through sentences and stories. Use flashcards, games, and songs to reinforce learning. Grouping similar irregular verbs together can help students remember the patterns. Consistent practice and repetition are key to mastering irregular verbs.
How to find an irregular verb?
To find an irregular verb, you can refer to a comprehensive list of irregular verbs, which is often included in grammar books and online resources. Pay attention to verbs that do not follow the regular '-ed' ending rule for past tense. You can also look for patterns in verb conjugations, such as changes in the vowel sound or completely different forms, to identify irregular verbs.
How many are irregular verbs?
There is no exact number of irregular verbs as it can vary depending on the language and the source you refer to. In English, there are approximately 200 irregular verbs. While this may seem like a lot, many of them are commonly used in everyday speech. Learning these verbs and their conjugations is essential for fluency in the language.
