featured image of regular and irregular verbs

Regular and Irregular Verbs: Differences and Examples

by Edwin CañasTuesday, July 08 2025

Did you know the difference between regular and irregular verbs?

Understanding them is essential, because these verbs shape the way we talk about the past, tell stories, and describe experiences. 

But don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds! 

In this guide, we’ll talk about their meanings, how to use them, and examples to boost your confidence in everyday conversations.

What are Regular Verbs?

illustration of regular verbs

Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when changing from their base form to the past tense and past participle

To form both the simple past and past participle, you simply add “-ed” or “-d” to the base verb. 

For example, “play” becomes “played” in both the past and past participle. 

This predictable structure makes regular verbs easier to learn and use, especially for English learners. 

List of Regular Verbs in English

Here’s a list of 50 common regular verbs for strengthen your vocabulary:

Base Verb

Simple Past

Past Participle

Accept Accepted Accepted 
Add Added Added 
Answer Answered Answered 
Arrive Arrived Arrived 
Ask Asked Asked 
Bake Baked Baked 
Blink Blinked Blinked 
Call Called Called 
Clean Cleaned Cleaned 
Climb Climbed Climbed 
Close Closed Closed 
Compare Compared Compared 
Cook Cooked Cooked 
Copy Copied Copied 
Dance Danced Danced 
Decide Decided Decided 
Deliver Delivered Delivered 
Describe Described Described 
Divide Divided Divided 
Dress Dressed Dressed 
Drop Dropped Dropped 
Enjoy Enjoyed Enjoyed 
Explain Explained Explained 
Fill Filled Filled 
Finish Finished Finished 
Fry Fried Fried 
Help Helped Helped 
ImagineImagined Imagined 
Jump Jumped Jumped 
Kick Kicked Kicked 
Laugh Laughed Laughed 
Like Liked Liked 
Listen Listened Listened 
Love Loved Loved 
Move Moved Moved 
Need Needed Needed 
Open Opened Opened 
Paint Painted Painted 
Play Played Played 
Push Pushed Pushed 
Rain Rained Rained 
Repeat Repeated Repeated 
Save Saved Saved 
Show Showed Showed 
Talk Talked Talked 
Travel Traveled Traveled 
Try Tried Tried 
Use Used Used 
Wait Waited Waited 
Walk Walked Walked 

What are Irregular Verbs?

illustration of irregular verbs

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard “-ed” pattern when forming their past tense and past participle

Instead, their changes are often unique and must be memorized. For example, the verb “go” becomes “went” (past) and “gone” (past participle). 

Irregular verbs are common in English and include many high-frequency words. 

There are different types: some change vowels (e.g., sing → sangsung), some stay the same (e.g., put → put put), and others change completely (e.g., buy → bought → bought). 

Mastering irregular verbs is essential for fluency and understanding in both spoken and written English.

List of Irregular Verbs in English

Here’s a list of 50 common irregular verbs for you:

Base Verb

Simple Past

Past Participle

Be Was/Were Been 
Become Became Become 
Begin Began Begun 
Bite Bit Bitten 
Blow Blew Blown 
Break Broke Broken 
Bring Brought Brought 
Build Built Built 
Buy Bought Bought 
Catch Caught Caught 
Choose Chose Chosen 
Come Came Come 
Cost Cost Cost 
Cut Cut Cut 
Do Did Done 
Draw Drew Drawn 
Drink Drank Drunk 
Drive Drove Driven 
Eat Ate Eaten 
Fall Fell Fallen 
Feel Felt Felt 
Find Found Found 
Fly Flew Flown 
Forget Forgot Forgotten 
Get Got Gotten 
Give Gave Given 
Go Went Gone 
Grow Grew Grown 
Have Had Had 
Hear Heard Heard 
Hold Held Held 
Keep Kept Kept 
Know Knew Known 
Leave Left Left 
Lend Lent Lent 
LetLet Let 
Lose Lost Lost 
Make Made Made 
Mean Meant Meant 
Meet Met Met 
Pay Paid Paid 
Put Put Put 
Read Read Read 
Ride Rode Ridden 
Ring Rang Rung 
Run Ran Run 
Say Said Said 
See Saw Seen 
Sell Sold Sold 
SitSatSat

Conclusion

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of regular and irregular verbs, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice. 

Challenge yourself to spot them in books, songs, or your daily chats in English!

Improve your English skills with EZClass now! Also, check out the EZClass blog to discover more interesting articles.

And don't forget to share this article with your friends who are learning English!


 

Edwin Cañas

Edwin Cañas

Founder of EZClass

Edwin Cañas is an expert in e-learning, leadership, and educational technology. As COREnglish’s Director of Operations and founder of EZClass, he strives to make learning more engaging and accessible. He also co-authored the "How to Master Grammar for Beginners (Spanish Edition)" book to help Spanish learners master English with ease.

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