100 Irregular Verbs | Quick Study Card

This guide lists one hundred high-frequency irregular verbs with base, past, and past participle forms plus simple patterns to learn fast.

English has many verbs that don’t follow the simple “-ed” past pattern. Learners meet them in news, films, exams, and daily chat. A tight reference that fits in one page saves time and builds real fluency. You get just that here: a clean list, plain rules that stick, and short drills to keep the set in memory.

Mastering A Hundred Irregular English Verbs Today

Scan the list once. Then read it in families. Say each row out loud: base form, past, then participle. Build short lines like “I break it,” “I broke it,” “It’s broken.” That rhythm locks the set in place. Keep notes on variants you prefer, since English accepts a few twins like learned/learnt. Stick to one style in your writing unless a teacher or job asks for a specific one.

When you want a look closer on meaning and usage, check a trusted dictionary entry:
Cambridge Grammar: Irregular Verbs,
British Council: Irregular Verbs, or
Merriam-Webster. These links explain regional notes and usage quirks.

How To Read The Chart And Avoid Tricky Mix-Ups

Base, Past, And Participle At A Glance

The first column shows the base form. Use it for the present and with “to” (to go, to see). The middle slot is the past simple. The last slot is the past participle—pair it with have/has/had, or use it after be in passive lines.

Twins And Regional Spellings

Some rows show two options. Both appear in print and speech. Pick one and keep it steady. A short guide: American books lean to “learned,” “dreamed,” “spoiled.” British books allow “learnt,” “dreamt,” “spoilt” as well. Exams accept a consistent style.

Meaning Shifts You Should Flag

Two verbs look close but carry different ideas: lay means “put something down.” lie (recline) means “rest yourself.” That pair causes slips. Note the forms: “lay–laid–laid” vs “lie–lay–lain.” Another set: hang (suspend a thing) usually “hung–hung,” but in legal or historical lines you still see “hanged.”

The Core List You Will Use Daily

Here is the compact table. It covers a hundred high-use verbs across work, study, and travel. Keep it open while you write. Add a star next to the verbs that pop up in your life a lot. That shortlist becomes your first review deck.

Base	Past	Past Participle
arise	arose	arisen
awake	awoke/awakened	awoken/awakened
be	was/were	been
bear	bore	borne/born
beat	beat	beaten
become	became	become
begin	began	begun
bend	bent	bent
bet	bet	bet
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast	broadcast
build	built	built
burn	burned/burnt	burned/burnt
burst	burst	burst
buy	bought	bought
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
cling	clung	clung
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
creep	crept	crept
cut	cut	cut
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamed/dreamt	dreamed/dreamt
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
flee	fled	fled
fling	flung	flung
fly	flew	flown
forbid	forbade/forbad	forbidden
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
freeze	froze	frozen
get	got	got/gotten
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grow	grew	grown
hang	hung	hung
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
hide	hid	hidden
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt/kneeled	knelt/kneeled
knit	knit/knitted	knit/knitted
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
lean	leaned/leant	leaned/leant
leap	leaped/leapt	leaped/leapt
learn	learned/learnt	learned/learnt
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie (recline)	lay	lain
light	lighted/lit	lighted/lit
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
prove	proved	proven/proved
put	put	put
quit	quit	quit
read	read	read
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
seek	sought	sought
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
shake	shook	shaken
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown/showed
shrink	shrank/shrunk	shrunk/shrunken
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank/sunk	sunk/sunken
sit	sat	sat
sleep	slept	slept
speak	spoke	spoken
spend	spent	spent
spin	spun	spun
split	split	split
spring	sprang/sprung	sprung
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
sting	stung	stung
strike	struck	struck/stricken
swear	swore	sworn
sweep	swept	swept
swim	swam	swum
swing	swung	swung
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
throw	threw	thrown
understand	understood	understood
wake	woke/waked	woken/waked
wear	wore	worn
weave	wove/weaved	woven/weaved
weep	wept	wept
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
write	wrote	written

Practice Plan That Builds Recall Fast

Seven-Day Micro Plan

Use short blocks. Ten minutes is plenty. Read aloud, write a few lines, and test yourself.

Day 1: Read the first thirty rows out loud. Write five short sentences with different subjects.
Day 2: Read rows 31–60. Record yourself saying base–past–participle for ten verbs.
Day 3: Read rows 61–100. Write a tiny story in past simple. Underline the verbs.
Day 4: Switch to perfect tenses. Build ten lines with have/has + participle.
Day 5: Mix voices. Turn five active lines into passive ones. Keep meaning the same.
Day 6: Do a blind recall. Cover the last column and fill it from memory.
Day 7: Review mistakes. Make flashcards for the three patterns that still slip.

Mini Drills You Can Repeat Anywhere

Three-Form Loop: Pick one verb. Say “I drive, I drove, I have driven.” Move on.
Chain Story: Tell a tiny story using five target verbs in order. Keep it fun.
Swap Test: Replace a regular verb in a line with an irregular one and keep grammar right.

Families, Patterns, And Shortcuts

English looks wild, yet many verbs travel in packs. Spot the pack and the set sticks. The second table lists quick hooks.

Mini Pattern Notes Before You See The Summary

Read a few quick hooks here, then meet the full pattern table near the end. Fast exposure now, full scan later, review tomorrow.

Verb Families Walkthrough With Mini Lines

No Change Trio

Some verbs keep one shape across all forms. That saves time and keeps writing neat. Say a few lines: “We set targets last week,” “We have set new ones today.” “They cut costs,” “Costs are cut each quarter.”

Vowel Flip Trio

Here the center vowel moves. Keep vowels crisp: sing–sang–sung, ring–rang–rung, swim–swam–swum. Build tiny lines: “She sang last night,” “She has sung in a choir for years.”

-en Ending Trio

Many participles end in -en or just n. You know the sound from daily speech: break–broke–broken, speak–spoke–spoken, write–wrote–written, take–took–taken. Say these out loud and feel the final n. The sound cue helps recall under test stress.

-t Past Trio

Some past forms end in -t. You see this mostly in British lines: burn–burnt, learn–learnt, spell–spelt. American lines lean to “burned, learned, spelled.” Both styles appear in global media, so read both with ease.

Hidden Twins

Two forms shift meaning a bit. “Proved” and “proven” both work, yet some style guides prefer “proven” as an adjective: “a proven method,” and “has proved helpful” inside a sentence. Keep that small split in mind.

Tense Frames With These Verbs

Past Simple

Use this for finished time blocks. “They went to Dhaka last month.” “The team won on Friday.” No link to today.

Present Perfect

Use this for life experience or recent results. “I have seen that film.” “We have built a new tool.” The result matters now.

Past Perfect

Use this to show an earlier past. “She had left before the call.” “They had written five drafts by June.”

Passive Voice

Pair be with the participle. “The report was written yesterday.” “Bids were sent at noon.” Use this when the doer is unknown or not the point.

Mini Stories Using Verb Packs

City Morning

I woke early, built a quick plan, then drove across town. A bus caught a light and traffic grew loud. I took a side road, found a space, and ran inside just as the meeting began. By noon we had broken the big problem into parts and a calm mood rose.

Weekend Trip

We left after lunch and rode along the river. A cool wind blew and clouds hung low. By dusk we had chosen a spot, set the tent, and lit a small fire. Someone brought tea. We sat close and stories sprang from the day.

Editing Checklist For Clean Verb Form

Scan every perfect tense. Make sure the third form sits after have/has/had.
After “did,” check the main verb. It should be base form.
Pick one style for any twin pair and keep it steady across the page.
Read your draft out loud. Stress the three forms where they appear.
Check subject–verb match in present lines with the base form.

Collocations And Handy Pairs

These verbs often travel with set nouns or short phrases. Using these pairs lifts your natural tone.

Make: make a call, make a plan, make a promise.
Take: take a seat, take a risk, take notes.
Give: give advice, give a tour, give notice.
Hold: hold a meeting, hold a license, hold stock.
Set: set goals, set a timer, set a record.
Pay: pay a fee, pay attention, pay a visit.
Keep: keep track, keep calm, keep a secret.
Break: break news, break a rule, break even.
Run: run a test, run late, run a company.
Lead: lead a team, lead a class, lead the field.

Self-Test: Fill The Right Form

Pick the best form for each line. Answers sit below the set.

She has ______ the email. (send)
I ______ the keys on the desk. (leave)
They had ______ the case before July. (solve)
We ______ a booth at the fair last year. (build)
He has ______ three pages so far. (write)
The price ______ after the news. (rise)
We ______ across the lake at dawn. (swim)
She ______ the door and walked out. (shut)
I ______ the train at 8:10. (catch)
They have ______ two new sites. (choose)
We ______ the new rules on Monday. (teach)
The glass ______ on the floor. (break)
She ______ the bill already. (pay)
He ______ the files to the cloud. (put)
They ______ the lights at ten. (shut)
I have ______ that song many times. (sing)
We ______ the last unit in May. (read)
He ______ the bike to work. (ride)
They ______ the test yesterday. (take)
We had ______ the room by noon. (sweep)

Self-Test Answers

sent
left
solved
built
written
rose
swam
shut
caught
chosen
taught
broke
paid
put
shut
sung
read
rode
took
swept

Teacher And Trainer Notes

Build spaced sets of ten. Week one covers rows 1–30, week two 31–60, week three 61–100. Mix listening, speaking, reading, and short writing. Use a simple grid on paper so students say all three forms on one breath. Mark twins in a color so the class agrees on a house style.

Regional Notes And Style Choices

Both global styles work in modern writing. A short list helps:

learned/learnt, dreamed/dreamt, burned/burnt: US books use the -ed line more. UK books allow both lines.
spoiled/spoilt, knelt/kneeled, leaped/leapt: mixed use across regions. Pick one.
got/gotten: US keeps “gotten” as a participle in many lines; UK sticks with “got.”
fit/fitted: engineering and tailoring often take “fitted” for actions, “fit” for state.

Real-World Templates

Project Update

“We have built the prototype and the team has run basic tests. Two bugs were found and a patch has been written. We sent the report on Tuesday.”

Service Email

“Thank you for your note. We have taken a look and the refund has been issued. The amount should show on your card within three days.”

Extend The List For Your Field

Writers in law, science, and tech meet a few extra forms. Add rows like “set,” “cost,” and “read” in context that fits your field. Keep all three slots in your sheet even when a verb shows no change. The habit keeps notes tidy.

Deep Notes On Ten High-Impact Verbs

Be

This verb builds passive lines and links subjects to states. Watch short forms in speech: I’m, you’re, they’re. Past forms split: was/were. The participle is “been,” used after have/has/had.

Have

Use it as a main verb (“I have a bike”) and as a helper for perfect tenses (“I have seen that”). In fast speech many speakers drop the h sound; keep the full form in careful writing.

Do

As a main verb it carries meaning: “We do our best.” As a helper it builds negatives and questions: “Did you go?” After did, the next verb is base form.

Go

The past is “went,” which looks odd because it comes from a different old verb. The participle “gone” pairs with have/has/had: “She has gone home.”

Get

This verb carries many shades: receive, become, bring. The participle splits by region: US keeps “gotten” in many lines (“has gotten better”), while UK keeps “got” (“has got better”). Be clear about your house style.

Make

Pairs with many nouns: make a choice, make time, make progress. It shows creation or result. Do not mix it with “do” in set phrases.

Take

Use it for time and actions: take a minute, take a seat, take notes. The participle is “taken.” Many idioms use it, so it earns a high study rank.

Come

Short, common, and flexible. Past form “came,” participle “come.” Watch the fixed phrase “come to” for regaining awareness, and “come up with” for ideas.

See

Use it for sight and for making sense. Past “saw,” participle “seen.” Many lines take it with present perfect for life experience: “I have seen snow twice.”

Give

Past “gave,” participle “given.” Pairs with advice, talks, and gifts. Note “give up” (quit) and “give in” (yield). Phrasal forms add range to your speech.

Pattern Summary Table

Pattern	Memory Hook	Examples
No Change	Same form in all three slots	bet • cut • put • set • shut
Vowel Change	Base vowel shifts in past/participle	sing–sang–sung • ring–rang–rung
n/-en Ending	Participle ends with n or -en	break–broke–broken • write–wrote–written
-t Past	Past/participle use -t	burn–burnt • learn–learnt
u In Participle	u appears only in participle	drink–drank–drunk • swim–swam–swum
w→o→o/n	o or -own in later forms	blow–blew–blown • grow–grew–grown
Keep Final d/t	Final consonant stays	build–built–built • send–sent–sent
Prefix Re- Uses Same Base	Re- + verb keeps pattern	rewrite–rewrote–rewritten (extends write)
American Vs British Twin	Two spellings live side by side	dreamed/dreamt • learned/learnt
Linking Auxiliaries	Use have/has/had with participle	I have eaten, she had gone

Common Errors And Easy Fixes

Mixing Up The Twin Pair “Lay” And “Lie”

Match meaning first. If you place an object, use “lay.” If you rest yourself, use “lie.” Then pick forms.

Dropping The Participle After “Have”

Perfect tenses need the third form. Say “I have eaten,” not “I have ate.” Train your ear with the loop drill.

Using A Past Form After “Did”

After the helper did, the main verb returns to base: “did go,” not “did went.”

Switching Styles Mid-Essay

Pick one style for twin forms. Stick with it across the page. Readers value steady voice.

Pronunciation Tips That Save Time

Short, strong stress helps. Say each set with a beat: “break–broke–broken.” Keep vowel shifts clean: /ɪ/ to /æ/ to /ʌ/ in “drink–drank–drunk.” Watch silent letters: the l in “could” is silent in modern speech, but that verb is regular now, so it sits outside this list. Record yourself and compare to a dictionary audio clip.

Writing, Exams, And Real-World Use

Emails And Reports

Past events take past simple. Results that still matter take present perfect. “We met on Monday.” “We have spoken twice this week.”

Academic Tasks

Style guides ask for steady form choices. If your class uses a British coursebook, write “learnt” only if that book models it. Many teachers accept either line.

Interviews And Small Talk

Questions about experience often take the perfect: “Have you driven a stick shift?” Answer with the same frame and give a short line of detail.

Keep The Set Fresh With Simple Tools

Set a spaced review on your phone. A repeat on day 1, 3, 7, 21 keeps gains. Build a tiny deck in any flashcard app. Add your own sentences, not just bare forms. That keeps the verbs tied to meaning, not noise.

Bookmark the reference links above. When a new verb pops up, check the entry and add a row to your personal sheet. Over time your sheet beats any generic list because it reflects your life and your job.

Quick Reference Sentences

Use these short lines as a warm-up. Read each one, then swap the subject or time marker to test forms.

I bought tickets yesterday. We have bought seats before.
She took a taxi at noon. She has taken that route often.
They drove all night. They have driven across the country twice.
He kept a copy. He has kept notes since school.
The team won last week. The club has won three seasons in a row.
I felt better by noon. I have felt fine all day.
We built a model. We have built a habit of testing each part.
She spoke to the group. She has spoken at many events.

Your 30-Day Plan

This light plan keeps the set in view without burning time. Each step takes ten to fifteen minutes.

Week 1: Read rows 1–30 daily. Record one minute of voice. Write five lines with present perfect.
Week 2: Switch to rows 31–60. Add ten passive lines. Share one short note with a study buddy.
Week 3: Move to rows 61–100. Write a 120-word story in past simple. Mark any weak spots.
Week 4: Mix the full set. Do two blind recalls. Create a cheat sheet of ten verbs that still slow you down.

Master these forms and your writing reads clean, your speech flows, and tests feel fair. Keep the list nearby, train with short loops, and the set moves from study to habit.