Irregular Verb Patterns

If these verbs are irregular, why are there so many of them? The truth is that these weirdos[1] are very common. Instead of just memorizing the typical list of three columns (infintive / past simple/ past participle forms), it might be easier to remember their forms if we separate them according to certain patterns.

1) First, we have a couple of infinitive verbs that end in -een in the past participle:

be / was, were / been

see / saw / seen

2) Let's continue with a couple of what I call boomerang verbs:

come / came / come

become / became / become

3) The infintive changes in the past simple form but returns to the same for in the past simple form. The following are similar to boomerangs but with an -n added at the end:

drive / drove / driven

give / gave / given

forgive / forgave / forgiven

4) Here are some irregular verbs that add -en at the end of the participle:

break / broke / broken

speak / spoke / spoken

choose / chose / chosen

freeze / froze / frozen

steal / stole / stolen

forbid / forbade / forbidden

hide / hid / hidden

ride / rode / ridden

write / wrote / written

forget / forgot / forgotten

get / got / gotten

eat / ate / eaten

fall / fell / fallen

take / took / taken

5) These verbs below turn into -ew in the past simple and -own in the past participle:

blow / blew / blown

grow / grew / grown

know / knew / known

throw / threw / thrown

fly / flew / flown

6) Now these verbs adopt a -t at the end of both the past simple and participle form:

build / built / built

feel  /felt / felt

keep / kept / kept

sleep / slept / slept

leave / left / left

lose / lost / lost

7) Related to the ones above, here are a few that end in -end in the infinitive and turn into -ent in the past simple and participle:

bend / bent  /bent

lend  / lent / lent

send / sent / sent

spend / spent / spent

8) More past simple / participle forms ending in -t but with a silent gh in front:

bring / brought / brought

buy / bought / bought

fight / fought / fought

think / thought / thought

catch / caught / caught

teach / taught / taught

9) Good so far? Take a break with a couple that change from -ell to -old:

sell / sold / sold

tell / told / told

10) And another couple that change from -ay to -aid:

pay / paid / paid

say /said / said

11) Here are a few cute ones whose vowel changes in each form:

begin / began / begun

drink / drank / drunk

sing / sang / sung

swim / swam / swum

12) Finally, here are a few stubborn verbs that refuse to change:

cut / cut / cut

hit / hit / hit

put / put / put

read / read / read *

shut / shut / shut

Now, you've been initiated into the world of irregular verbs. It seems easy! Doesn't it??

[1] bichos raros
[2] tosudos
* but the vowel sound changes