Explanations, Examples, Exercises
Verb List
Watch the video and learn how to use these correctly.
Verb List
See our list of English verbs below, including past tense, present (base and -s forms), past participle, and -ing forms of regular and irregular verbs for grammar study and teaching.
Regular Verbs
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form | notes | |
call | calls | called | called | calling | ||
clean | cleans | cleaned | cleaned | cleaning | ||
look | looks | looked | looked | looking | 1 | |
talk | talks | talked | talked | talking | 1 | |
end | ends | ended | ended | ending | 2 | |
wait | waits | waited | waited | waiting | 2 | |
kiss | kisses | kissed | kissed | kissing | 3 | |
wash | washes | washed | washed | washing | 3 | |
live | lives | lived | lived | living | 4 | |
love | loves | loved | loved | loving | 4 | |
beg | begs | begged | begged | begging | 5 | |
sin | sins | sinned | sinned | sinning | 5 | |
play | plays | played | played | playing | ||
stay | stays | stayed | stayed | staying | ||
cry | cries | cried | cried | crying | 6 | |
| study | studies | studied | studied | studying | 6 | |
die | dies | died | died | dying | ||
tie | ties | tied | tied | tying |
Notes :
1. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /p, s, k, f/ sounds
2. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /t, d/ sounds
3. Spelling and pronunciation differences in -s form after /s, sh, ch, z/ sounds
4. Dropping of “silent e” with -ing endings
5. Doubled consonants after “short” vowel sounds
6. Spelling differences when “y” is preceded by a consonant
Irregular Verbs
Verbs like “cut” do not change in the past or past participle.
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| cut | cuts | cut | cut | cutting |
| fit | fits | fit | fit | fitting |
| hit | hits | hit | hit | hitting |
| let | lets | let | let | letting |
| put | puts | put | put | putting |
| quit | quits | quit | quit | quitting |
| set | sets | set | set | setting |
| shut | shuts | shut | shut | shutting |
| split | splits | split | split | splitting |
| upset | upsets | upset | upset | upsetting |
| burst | bursts | burst | burst | bursting |
| cast | casts | cast | cast | casting |
| cost | costs | cost | cost | costing* |
| hurt | hurts | hurt | hurt | hurting |
| spread | spreads | spread | spread | spreading |
| knit | knits | knit/knitted | knit/knitted | knitting |
| sit | sits | sat | sat | sitting |
| spit | spits | spat/spit | spat/spit | spitting |
Verbs like “swim” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle, usually from “i” to “a” to “u” | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| begin | begins | began | begun | beginning |
| swim | swims | swam | swum | swimming |
| ring | rings | rang | rung | ringing |
| sing | sings | sang | sung | singing |
| spring | springs | sprang | sprung | springing |
| cling | clings | clung | clung | clinging |
| fling | flings | flung | flung | flinging |
| sling | slings | slung | slung | slinging |
| sting | stings | stung | stung | stinging |
| swing | swings | swung | swung | swinging |
| wring | wrings | wrung | wrung | wringing |
| hang | hangs | hung/hanged** | hung/hanged | hanging |
| drink | drinks | drank | drunk | sinking |
| shrink | shrinks | shrank | shrunk | shrinking |
| stink | stinks | stank / stunk | stunk | stinking |
| Verbs like “think” use “ought” or “aught” in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| think | thinks | thought | thought | thinking |
| bring | brings | brought | brought | bringing |
| buy | buys | bought | bought | buying |
| seek | seeks | sought | sought | seeking |
| fight | fights | fought | fought | fighting |
| catch | catches | caught | caught | catching |
| teach | teaches | taught | taught | teaching |
| Verbs like “keep” shift from (long) “ee” to (short) “e” sounds in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| creep | creeps | crept | crept | creeping |
| keep | keeps | kept | kept | keeping |
| sleep | sleeps | slept | slept | sleeping |
| sweep | sweeps | swept | swept | sweeping |
| weep | weeps | wept | wept | weeping |
| bleed | bleeds | bled | bled | bleeding |
| breed | breeds | bred | bred | breeding |
| feed | feeds | fed | fed | feeding |
| flee | flees | fled | fled | fleeing |
| lead | leads | led | led | leading |
| speed | speeds | sped/speeded | sped/speeded | speeding |
| meet | meets | met | met | meeting |
| bend | bends | bent | bent | bending |
| lend | lends | lent | lent | lending |
| send | sends | sent | sent | sending |
| spend | spends | spent | spent | spending |
| deal | deals | dealt | dealt | dealing |
| feel | feels | felt | felt | feeling |
| kneel | kneels | knelt | knelt | kneeling |
| dream | dreams | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed | dreaming |
| mean | means | meant | meant | meaning |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| spill | spills | spilt/spilled | spilt/spilled | spilling |
| build | builds | built | built | building |
| burn | burns | burnt/burned | burnt/burned | burning |
Verbs like “sell” shift to “old” endings in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| hold | holds | held | held | holding |
| sell | sells | sold | sold | selling |
| tell | tells | told | told | telling |
| Verbs like “find” shift to “ound” endings in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| find | finds | found | found | finding |
| grind | grinds | ground | ground | grinding |
| wind | winds | wound | wound | winding |
| Verbs like “break” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also use the “en” ending in the past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| break | breaks | broke | broken | breaking |
| choose | chooses | chose | chosen | choosing |
| freeze | freezes | froze | frozen | freezing |
| speak | speaks | spoke | spoken | speaking |
| steal | steals | stole | stolen | stealing |
| wake | wakes | woke | woken | waking |
| weave | weaves | wove | woven | weaving |
| arise | arises | arose | arisen | arising |
| drive | drives | drove | driven | driving |
| ride | rides | rode | ridden | riding |
| rise | rises | rose | risen | rising |
| write | writes | wrote | written | writing |
| bite | bites | bit | bitten | biting |
| hide | hides | hid | hidden | hiding |
| slide | slides | slid | slidden / slid | sliding |
| get | gets | got | gotten | getting |
| forget | forgets | forgot | forgotten | forgetting |
| give | gives | gave | given | giving |
| forgive | forgives | forgave | forgiven | forgiving |
| forbid | forbids | forbade/forbad | forbidden | forbidding |
| fall | falls | fell | fallen | falling |
| swell | swells | swole / swelled | swollen | swelling |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| dive | dives | dove / dived | dived | diving |
| Verbs like “blow” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also take on the “wn” ending in the past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| blow | blows | blew | blown | blowing |
| fly | flies | flew | flown | flying |
| grow | grows | grew | grown | growing |
| know | knows | knew | known | knowing |
| throw | throws | threw | thrown | throwing |
| draw | draws | drew | drawn | drawing |
| withdraw | withdraws | withdrew | withdrawn | withdrawing |
| show | shows | showed | shown | showing |
| Verbs like “eat” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also take on the “en” ending in the past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| eat | eats | ate | eaten | eating |
| beat | beats | beat | beaten | beating |
| take | takes | took | taken | taking |
| forsake | forsakes | forsook | forsaken | forsaking |
| mistake | mistakes | mistook | mistaken | mistaking |
| shake | shakes | shook | shaken | shaking |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| make | makes | made | made | making |
| Verbs like “wear” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They take on the “rn” ending in the past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| swear | swears | swore | sworn | swearing |
| wear | wears | wore | worn | wearing |
| tear | tears | tore | torn | tearing |
| bear | bears | bore | born | bearing |
| stand | stands | stood | stood | standing |
| understand | understands | understood | understood | understanding |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| become | becomes | became | become | becoming |
| come | comes | came | come | coming |
| run | runs | ran | run | running |
| Verbs like “dig” shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. Usually the past and past participle are the same. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| dig | digs | dug | dug | digging |
| spin | spins | spun | spun | spinning |
| stick | sticks | stuck | stuck | sticking |
| strike | strikes | struck | struck/stricken | striking |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| do | does | did | done | doing |
| go | goes | went | gone | going |
Verbs like “have” change spelling and sometimes sound in the past and past participles. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| have | has | had | had | having |
| hear | hears | heard | heard | hearing |
| lay | lays | laid | laid | laying |
| pay | pays | paid | paid | paying |
| say | says | said | said | saying |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| lie | lies | lay | lain | lying |
Verbs like “lose” change spelling and sound in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| light | lights | lit/lighted | lit/lighted | lighting |
| lose | loses | lost | lost | losing |
| leave | leaves | left | left | leaving |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| prove | proves | proved | proven/proved | proving |
| Verbs like “read” change sound, but not spelling, in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| read | reads | read | read | reading |
| Verbs like “see” have sound or spelling changes in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| see | sees | saw | seen | seeing |
| sew | sews | sewed | sewn/sewed | sewing |
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| shave | shaves | shaved | shaven/shaved | shaving |
| shine | shines | shined or shone | shined or shone | shining |
| Verbs like “win” change spelling and sound in the past and past participle. | ||||
| base | -s form | past | past participle | -ing form |
| shoot | shoots | shot | shot | shooting |
| wind | wins | won | won | winning |
| The verb “be” has its own unique usage. | ||||
| be | is | are or am | was or were | been/being |
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