Content updated on 20 April 2026
Why do we say "walked" but not "runned"? Why is it "went" instead of "goed"? The answer lies in the difference between regular and irregular verbs. This lesson for Class 5–6 students breaks down the simple rules for forming past tenses and helps you memorise the tricky irregular forms that don't follow the rules. By the end, you'll know exactly when to add -ed and when to reach for a completely different word.
✅ Recommended for: Class 5-6 (Core) | CBSE & UP Board
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In English, most verbs change their form to show when an action happened—past, present, or future. The way a verb changes tells us whether it is regular or irregular. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern (usually adding -ed). Irregular verbs, on the other hand, have their own unique forms that must be memorised. Let's tackle both categories so you can speak and write with confidence.
Irregular Verb: Does NOT follow the -ed rule; the past forms must be learned individually.
What are Regular Verbs?
Regular verbs are the well-behaved members of the verb family. To form the past tense or the past participle, you simply add -ed (or just -d if the verb already ends in -e) to the base form. For example, play becomes played; dance becomes danced. This rule applies to thousands of English verbs, making them easy to use once you know the pattern.
- walk → walked
- jump → jumped
- clean → cleaned
- watch → watched
- like → liked
- love → loved
Whether the subject is I, you, he, she, we, or they, the past tense form of a regular verb stays exactly the same. That's one less thing to worry about!
Spelling Rules for Adding -ed
While adding -ed sounds simple, a few spelling adjustments are needed for certain verbs. These rules prevent awkward spellings and help with pronunciation.
| Rule | Base Form | Past Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs: just add -ed | walk, talk, play | walked, talked, played |
| Verbs ending in -e: add -d only | like, love, hope | liked, loved, hoped |
| Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed | carry, cry, try | carried, cried, tried |
| Verbs ending in vowel + y: just add -ed | play, enjoy, stay | played, enjoyed, stayed |
| One-syllable verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: double the final consonant and add -ed | stop, plan, hop | stopped, planned, hopped |
| Two-syllable verbs with stress on last syllable: double final consonant | permit, admit, occur | permitted, admitted, occurred |
These spelling rules are worth memorising because they apply to most regular verbs. The doubling rule, in particular, helps maintain the short vowel sound of the base word.
How to Pronounce -ed Endings
Did you know the -ed ending can be pronounced in three different ways? It all depends on the sound that comes before it.
- /t/ sound: after voiceless consonants (p, k, f, s, sh, ch, x). Examples: walked (wokt), laughed (laft), kissed (kist).
- /d/ sound: after voiced consonants (b, g, v, z, m, n, l, r) and all vowels. Examples: played (playd), called (calld), loved (lovd).
- /ษชd/ or /ษd/ sound: after verbs already ending in /t/ or /d/. Examples: wanted (wantid), needed (needid), decided (decidid).
Knowing this will improve your spoken English and help you sound more natural.
What are Irregular Verbs?
Irregular verbs do not follow the neat -ed pattern. Their past tense and past participle forms can be completely different from the base form. For instance, go changes to went (past) and gone (past participle). There is no single rule to predict these changes; they must be learned through exposure and practice. Fortunately, many of the most frequently used verbs in English are irregular, so you'll get plenty of practice with them.
- eat → ate → eaten
- see → saw → seen
- take → took → taken
- give → gave → given
- come → came → come
Patterns That Can Help You Learn
While irregular verbs are unpredictable, many fall into loose groups based on how they change. Recognising these patterns can make memorisation easier.
- No change at all: cut → cut → cut; put → put → put; hit → hit → hit; let → let → let; read → read → read (pronunciation changes).
- Vowel changes (i → a → u): sing → sang → sung; ring → rang → rung; drink → drank → drunk; begin → began → begun; swim → swam → swum.
- Past tense ends in -ew, past participle ends in -own/-awn: fly → flew → flown; know → knew → known; grow → grew → grown; draw → drew → drawn.
- Past tense and past participle are the same (but different from base): buy → bought → bought; teach → taught → taught; catch → caught → caught; sell → sold → sold; tell → told → told.
50 Most Common Irregular Verbs (Table)
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle | Hindi Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been | เคนोเคจा |
| become | became | become | เคฌเคจเคจा |
| begin | began | begun | เคถुเคฐू เคเคฐเคจा |
| break | broke | broken | เคคोเคก़เคจा |
| bring | brought | brought | เคฒाเคจा |
| build | built | built | เคฌเคจाเคจा |
| buy | bought | bought | เคเคฐीเคฆเคจा |
| catch | caught | caught | เคชเคเคก़เคจा |
| choose | chose | chosen | เคुเคจเคจा |
| come | came | come | เคเคจा |
| cost | cost | cost | เคीเคฎเคค เคนोเคจा |
| cut | cut | cut | เคाเคเคจा |
| do | did | done | เคเคฐเคจा |
| draw | drew | drawn | เคिเคค्เคฐ เคฌเคจाเคจा |
| drink | drank | drunk | เคชीเคจा |
| drive | drove | driven | เคเคฒाเคจा |
| eat | ate | eaten | เคाเคจा |
| fall | fell | fallen | เคिเคฐเคจा |
| feel | felt | felt | เคฎเคนเคธूเคธ เคเคฐเคจा |
| find | found | found | เคขूँเคขเคจा |
| fly | flew | flown | เคเคก़เคจा |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | เคญूเคฒเคจा |
| get | got | got/gotten | เคชाเคจा |
| give | gave | given | เคฆेเคจा |
| go | went | gone | เคाเคจा |
| grow | grew | grown | เคเคाเคจा/เคฌเคข़เคจा |
| have | had | had | เคชाเคธ เคนोเคจा |
| hear | heard | heard | เคธुเคจเคจा |
| hide | hid | hidden | เคिเคชเคจा |
| hit | hit | hit | เคฎाเคฐเคจा |
| hold | held | held | เคชเคเคก़เคจा |
| keep | kept | kept | เคฐเคเคจा |
| know | knew | known | เคाเคจเคจा |
| leave | left | left | เคोเคก़เคจा |
| lend | lent | lent | เคเคงाเคฐ เคฆेเคจा |
| lose | lost | lost | เคोเคจा |
| make | made | made | เคฌเคจाเคจा |
| mean | meant | meant | เคฎเคคเคฒเคฌ เคนोเคจा |
| meet | met | met | เคฎिเคฒเคจा |
| pay | paid | paid | เคญुเคเคคाเคจ เคเคฐเคจा |
| put | put | put | เคฐเคเคจा |
| read | read | read | เคชเคข़เคจा |
| ride | rode | ridden | เคธเคตाเคฐी เคเคฐเคจा |
| ring | rang | rung | เคंเคी เคฌเคเคจा |
| run | ran | run | เคฆौเคก़เคจा |
| say | said | said | เคเคนเคจा |
| see | saw | seen | เคฆेเคเคจा |
| sell | sold | sold | เคฌेเคเคจा |
| send | sent | sent | เคญेเคเคจा |
| sing | sang | sung | เคाเคจा |
| sit | sat | sat | เคฌैเค เคจा |
| sleep | slept | slept | เคธोเคจा |
| speak | spoke | spoken | เคฌोเคฒเคจा |
| spend | spent | spent | เคฌिเคคाเคจा/เคเคฐ्เค เคเคฐเคจा |
| stand | stood | stood | เคเคก़ा เคนोเคจा |
| swim | swam | swum | เคคैเคฐเคจा |
| take | took | taken | เคฒेเคจा |
| teach | taught | taught | เคชเคข़ाเคจा |
| tell | told | told | เคฌเคคाเคจा |
| think | thought | thought | เคธोเคเคจा |
| throw | threw | thrown | เคซेंเคเคจा |
| understand | understood | understood | เคธเคฎเคเคจा |
| wake | woke | woken | เคाเคเคจा |
| wear | wore | worn | เคชเคนเคจเคจा |
| win | won | won | เคीเคคเคจा |
| write | wrote | written | เคฒिเคเคจा |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Wrong ❌ | Right ✅ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| I goed to the park. | I went to the park. | 'Go' is irregular; never add -ed. |
| She putted the book down. | She put the book down. | 'Put' is irregular and doesn't change form. |
| He cutted his finger. | He cut his finger. | 'Cut' remains 'cut' in past tense. |
| They swimmed in the pool. | They swam in the pool. | Irregular: swim → swam → swum. |
| We eated pizza. | We ate pizza. | 'Eat' changes completely; not 'eated'. |
Solved Examples
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Practice Questions
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Why Distinguishing Regular and Irregular Verbs Matters
Using the correct past form is essential for clear communication. It shows that you have a command of English beyond the basics. In CBSE and UP Board exams, error correction and gap-filling questions often target irregular verb forms. Regular practice and exposure through reading will help these forms become second nature. Explore more resources on our Verbs and Tenses Hub and try the related Error Correction exercises.
- Hindi Grammar Hub — เคนिंเคฆी เคต्เคฏाเคเคฐเคฃ เคा เคธเคฎ्เคชूเคฐ्เคฃ เคธंเค्เคฐเคน।
- Mathematics Hub — Step-by-step math practice for all grades.
- GPN Knowledge Hub — Exam strategies and smart study advice.
- Worksheets Master Hub — Unlimited practice material at your fingertips.
๐ Regular & Irregular Verbs Worksheet
Solidify your knowledge with 40+ questions covering -ed spelling rules, irregular verb forms, and error correction. Perfect for Class 5–6 exam preparation.
Go to Regular & Irregular Verbs Worksheet →Answer key included • Spelling drills • Comprehensive verb table
