Irregular Verbs: Overview and List
In English, regular verbs consist of three main parts: the root form (present), the (simple) past, and the past participle. Regular verbs have an -ed ending added to the root verb for both the simple past and past participle. Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern, and instead take on an alternative pattern.
List of Irregular Verbs in English
The following is a partial list of irregular verbs found in English. Each listing consists of the present/root form of the verb, the (simple) past form of the verb, and the past participle form of the verb.
|wake||woke (waked)||woken (waked)|
Commonly Confused Verbs
LIE versus LAY
|lie, lying (to tell a falsehood)||I lied to my mother.||I have lied under oath.|
|lie, lying (to recline)||I lay on the bed because I was tired.||He has lain in the grass.|
|lay, laying (to put, place)||I laid the baby in her cradle.||We have laid the dishes on the table.|
After laying down his weapon, the soldier lay down to sleep.
Will you lay out my clothes while I lie down to rest?
SIT versus SET
|sit (to be seated or come to resting position)||I sat in my favorite chair.||You have sat there for three hours.|
|set (to put or place)||I set my glass on the table.||She has set her books on my desk again.|
RISE versus RAISE
|rise (steady or customary upward movement)||The balloon rose into the air.||He has risen to a position of power.|
|raise (to cause to rise)||They raised their hands because they knew the answer.||I have raised the curtain many times.|