1. Understanding Verb Forms
What are the principal parts of verbs?
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Review A
Review B

2. 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 has worn a uniform before.
He wore a tuxedo for his wedding.

3. What are the principal parts of verbs?
Verbs have four principal parts, each of which performs a different function.
Base Form
begin
join
Present Participle
[is] beginn
ing
[is] join
ing
Past
beg a n
join ed
Past Participle
[have] beg u n
[have] join ed
More about participles

4. What are the principal parts of verbs?
These principal parts are used to form all the different verb tenses.
Base Form
They always begin on time.
Present Participle
They are beginning now.
Past
They began early yesterday.
Past Participle
They have begun already.

5. Regular verbs
A regular verb generally forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed to the base form.
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.
Present Participle
happen
ing

6. 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 or
burn t or
[have] burn t
dream
dream ed
[have] dream ed or
dream t or
[have] dream t

7. Regular verbs On Your Own
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)
[End of Section]

8. Irregular verbs Some verbs do not fit the regular pattern.
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 sw a m
[have] sw u m
burst
burst
[have] burst

9. Irregular verbs Changing vowels
1. Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing vowels.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
drink dr a nk
[have] dr u nk
Other verbs that change vowels
become
became
[have] become
find
found
[have] found
meet
met
[have] met
ring
rang
[have] rung

10. Irregular verbs Changing consonants
2. Other irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing consonants.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
make ma d e
[have] ma d e
Other verbs that change consonants
build
built
[have] built
hear
heard
[have] heard
lend
lent
[have] lent
spend
spent
[have] spent

11. Irregular verbs Changing 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 aw
[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

12. Irregular verbs No change
4. A few irregular verbs make no change at all in their past and past participle forms.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
set
set
[have] set
Other verbs that make no change
burst
[have] burst
cost
[have] cost
hurt
[have] hurt
read
[have] read

13. Irregular verbs On Your Own
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)
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14. 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)

15. Review B
The following sentences contain nonstandard or misspelled verb forms. Identify each error, and provide the standard form of the verb.
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.
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16. The End