Past Simple and Irregular Verbs: A Guide with Exercises
A Practical Guide to Irregular Verbs in Past Simple: Exercises and Examples
Irregular verbs are one of the most challenging topics to master in English, but their correct usage in the Past Simple form is key to improving your language skills. In this article, we’ll explore how to properly form the past tense for irregular verbs and provide practical exercises to reinforce the material. You’ll learn how to use Past Simple in various contexts to make your English more grammatically correct and fluent.
We’ve prepared an irregular verb table with the most common words you need to know for exams and everyday communication. Additionally, you’ll find exercises with answers that will help you apply theoretical knowledge in practice. If you want to improve your vocabulary and understand how to correctly use these important verbs, this article is for you.
What are irregular verbs?
In English, irregular verbs are verbs that don’t follow the general rules for forming the past tense (Past Simple) and past participle. Usually, for regular verbs in Past Simple, the ending “-ed” is added. For example, “walk” becomes “walked”. Irregular verbs change their form differently, and these changes need to be memorized.
Table with Popular Examples of Irregular Verbs in Past Simple
| Infinitive | Past Simple |
| buy | bought |
| break | broke |
| build | built |
| catch | caught |
| come | came |
| do | did |
| drive | drove |
| eat | ate |
| find | found |
| give | gave |
| go | went |
| have | had |
| make | made |
| meet | met |
| run | ran |
| see | saw |
| send | sent |
| sing | sang |
| sleep | slept |
| speak | spoke |
| take | took |
| tell | told |
| wear | wore |
| write | wrote |
The complete table can be found in the section: Irregular verbs
Exercise: Transforming Verbs into Past Simple Form
You need to correctly fill in the blanks for each sentence by putting the verbs in parentheses into their past tense (Past Simple) form. Most of these verbs are irregular, so you’ll need to look up their forms in the table below. For regular verbs, add the “-ed” ending. Make sure you use the correct verb form according to the context of the sentence.
