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Understanding Verb Forms What are the principal parts of verbs? Regular verbs Irregular verbs Review A Review B
Understanding Verb Forms
What are the principal parts of verbs?
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Review A
Review B
What are the principal parts of verbs?
Verbs change forms to fit different uses, much as people change clothes to fit different situations.
He wears stripes for the game.
He wore a tuxedo for his wedding.
He has worn a uniform before.
What are the principal parts of verbs?
Verbs have four principal parts, each of which performs a different function.
Present Participle
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
begin join
[is] beginn [is] join ing
beg na join ed
[have] beg nu [have] join ed
ing
More about participles
What are the principal parts of verbs?
These principal parts are used to form all the different verb tenses.
Present Participle
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
They always begin on time.
They are beginning now.
They began early yesterday.
They have begun already.
Regular verbs
A regular verb generally forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed to the base form.
Present Participle
Base Form Past Past Participle
bake bake d [have] bake d
happen happen ed [have] happen ed
The present participle is formed by adding –ing.
happen ing
Regular verbs
A few regular verbs have alternative past and past participle forms that end in -t.
Base Form Past Past Participle
burn burn ed [have] burn ed
dream dream ed [have] dream ed
or burn t [have] burn tor
or dream t [have] dream tor
Regular verbs
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Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present participle) of the italicized verb, as indicated in parentheses.
1. A rolling, green meadow (stretch) before them. (past)
2. The class is (paint) a mural for the hallway. (present participle)
3. Have you (revise) your essay yet? (past participle)
4. The cat (jump) onto the counter and knocked over a glass of juice. (past)
5. We are (conduct) a survey. (present participle)
On Your Own
m
Irregular verbs
An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some way other than by adding –d or –ed.
Base Form Past Past Participle
swim
burst burst [have] burst
Some verbs do not fit the regular pattern.
sw ma [have] sw u
nk
Irregular verbsChanging vowels
1. Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing vowels.
Base Form Past Past Participle
drink nk
Other verbs that change vowels
become became [have] become
find found [have] found
meet met [have] met
ring rang [have] rung
dr [have] dr ua
Irregular verbsChanging consonants
2. Other irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing consonants.
Base Form Past Past Participle
make ma [have] ma d
Other verbs that change consonants
build built [have] built
hear heard [have] heard
lend lent [have] lent
spend spent [have] spent
d e e
Irregular verbsChanging vowels and consonants
3. Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing both vowels and
consonants.
Base Form Past Past Participle
see s [have] s een
Other verbs that change vowels and consonants
buy bought [have] bought
break broke [have] broken
feel felt [have] felt
go went [have] gone
aw
Irregular verbsNo change
4. A few irregular verbs make no change at all in their past and past participle forms.
Base Form Past Past Participle
set
Other verbs that make no change
burst burst [have] burst
cost cost [have] cost
hurt hurt [have] hurt
read read [have] read
set [have] set
Irregular verbs
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Give the correct form (past or past participle) of each verb in parentheses.
1. I bought the tickets even though they ________ too much. (cost)
2. Greg has finally ________ the answer. (find)
3. Dad has ________ Rusty to visit the veterinarian. (take)
4. The girls ________ hats for the nature hike. (wear)
5. She ________ everything she could to help us. (do)
On Your Own
Review A
Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present participle) of each italicized verb, as indicated in parentheses.
1. Have you ever (fly) a Japanese dragon kite? (past participle)
2. We (see) three movies last weekend. (past)
3. Bill is (cut) the fabric for the drapes. (present participle)
4. The pitcher (throw) the ball to the first baseman. (past)
5. The government class has (go) to observe the city council in session. (past participle)
Review B
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1. As soon as the robin was well, we letted it go free.
2. Can you believe Mary has never rode a roller coaster?
3. Mrs. Romero begun her career as soon as she finished college.
4. The crowded roots of the plant have bursted the ceramic flowerpot.
5. Tasha would have sang the song if we had asked her to.
The following sentences contain nonstandard or misspelled verb forms. Identify each error, and provide the standard form of the verb.
The End
