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ESL Grammar Resources

Verb List

Regular Verbs

base	-s form	past	past participle	-ing form	notes
call	calls	called	called	calling
clean	cleans	cleaned	cleaned	cleaning
look	looks	looked	looked	looking	1
talk	talks	talked	talked	talking	1
end	ends	ended	ended	ending	2
wait	waits	waited	waited	waiting	2
kiss	kisses	kissed	kissed	kissing	3
wash	washes	washed	washed	washing	3
live	lives	lived	lived	living	4
love	loves	loved	loved	loving	4
beg	begs	begged	begged	begging	5
sin	sins	sinned	sinned	sinning	5
play	plays	played	played	playing
stay	stays	stayed	stayed	staying
cry	cries	cried	cried	crying	6
	studies	studied	studied	studying	6
die	dies	died	died	dying
tie	ties	tied	tied	tying

Notes :

1. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /p, s, k, f/ sounds

2. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /t, d/ sounds

3. Spelling and pronunciation differences in -s form after /s, sh, ch, z/ sounds

4. Dropping of "silent e" with -ing endings

5. Doubled consonants after "short" vowel sounds

6. Spelling differences when "y" is preceded by a consonant

Irregular Verbs

Verbs like "cut" do not change in the past or past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

cut cuts cut cut cutting

fit fits fit fit fitting

hit hits hit hit hitting

let lets let let letting

put puts put put putting

quit quits quit quit quitting

set sets set set setting

shut shuts shut shut shutting

split splits split split splitting

upset upsets upset upset upsetting

burst bursts burst burst bursting

cast casts cast cast casting

cost costs cost cost costing*

hurt hurts hurt hurt hurting

spread spreads spread spread spreading

knit knits knit/knitted knit/knitted knitting

sit sits sat sat sitting

spit spits spat/spit spat/spit spitting

Verbs like "swim" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle, usually from "i" to "a" to "u"

base -s form past past participle -ing form

begin begins began begun beginning

swim swims swam swum swimming

ring rings rang rung ringing

sing sings sang sung singing

spring springs sprang sprung springing

cling clings clung clung clinging

fling flings flung flung flinging

sling slings slung slung slinging

sting stings stung stung stinging

swing swings swung swung swinging

wring wrings wrung wrung wringing

hang hangs hung/hanged** hung/hanged hanging

drink drinks drank drunk sinking

shrink shrinks shrank shrunk shrinking

stink stinks stank / stunk stunk stinking

Verbs like "think" use "ought" or "aught" in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

think thinks thought thought thinking

bring brings brought brought bringing

buy buys bought bought buying

seek seeks sought sought seeking

fight fights fought fought fighting

catch catches caught caught catching

teach teaches taught taught teaching

Verbs like "keep" shift from (long) "ee" to (short) "e" sounds in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

creep creeps crept crept creeping

keep keeps kept kept keeping

sleep sleeps slept slept sleeping

sweep sweeps swept swept sweeping

weep weeps wept wept weeping

bleed bleeds bled bled bleeding

breed breeds bred bred breeding

feed feeds fed fed feeding

flee flees fled fled fleeing

lead leads led led leading

speed speeds sped/speeded sped/speeded speeding

meet meets met met meeting

bend bends bent bent bending

lend lends lent lent lending

send sends sent sent sending

spend spends spent spent spending

deal deals dealt dealt dealing

feel feels felt felt feeling

kneel kneels knelt knelt kneeling

dream dreams dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed dreaming

mean means meant meant meaning

base -s form past past participle -ing form

spill spills spilt/spilled spilt/spilled spilling

build builds built built building

burn burns burnt/burned burnt/burned burning

Verbs like "sell" shift to "old" endings in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

hold holds held held holding

sell sells sold sold selling

tell tells told told telling

Verbs like "find" shift to "ound" endings in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

find finds found found finding

grind grinds ground ground grinding

wind winds wound wound winding

Verbs like "break" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also use the "en" ending in the past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

break breaks broke broken breaking

choose chooses chose chosen choosing

freeze freezes froze frozen freezing

speak speaks spoke spoken speaking

steal steals stole stolen stealing

wake wakes woke woken waking

weave weaves wove woven weaving

arise arises arose arisen arising

drive drives drove driven driving

ride rides rode ridden riding

rise rises rose risen rising

write writes wrote written writing

bite bites bit bitten biting

hide hides hid hidden hiding

slide slides slid slidden / slid sliding

get gets got gotten getting

forget forgets forgot forgotten forgetting

give gives gave given giving

forgive forgives forgave forgiven forgiving

forbid forbids forbade/forbad forbidden forbidding

fall falls fell fallen falling

swell swells swole / swelled swollen swelling

base -s form past past participle -ing form

dive dives dove / dived dived diving

Verbs like "blow" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also take on the "wn" ending in the past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

blow blows blew blown blowing

fly flies flew flown flying

grow grows grew grown growing

know knows knew known knowing

throw throws threw thrown throwing

draw draws drew drawn drawing

withdraw withdraws withdrew withdrawn withdrawing

show shows showed shown showing

Verbs like "eat" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They also take on the "en" ending in the past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

eat eats ate eaten eating

beat beats beat beaten beating

take takes took taken taking

forsake forsakes forsook forsaken forsaking

mistake mistakes mistook mistaken mistaking

shake shakes shook shaken shaking

base -s form past past participle -ing form

make makes made made making

Verbs like "wear" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. They take on the "rn" ending in the past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

swear swears swore sworn swearing

wear wears wore worn wearing

tear tears tore torn tearing

bear bears bore born bearing

stand stands stood stood standing

understand understands understood understood understanding

base -s form past past participle -ing form

become becomes became become becoming

come comes came come coming

run runs ran run running

Verbs like "dig" shift vowel sounds in the past and past participle. Usually the past and past participle are the same.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

dig digs dug dug digging

spin spins spun spun spinning

stick sticks stuck stuck sticking

strike strikes struck struck/stricken striking

base -s form past past participle -ing form

do does did done doing

go goes went gone going

Verbs like "have" change spelling and sometimes sound in the past and past participles.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

have has had had having

hear hears heard heard hearing

lay lays laid laid laying

pay pays paid paid paying

say says said said saying

base -s form past past participle -ing form

lie lies lay lain lying

Verbs like "lose" change spelling and sound in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

light lights lit/lighted lit/lighted lighting

lose loses lost lost losing

leave leaves left left leaving

base -s form past past participle -ing form

prove proves proved proven/proved proving

Verbs like "read" change sound, but not spelling, in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

read reads read read reading

Verbs like "see" have sound or spelling changes in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

see sees saw seen seeing

sew sews sewed sewn/sewed sewing

base -s form past past participle -ing form

shave shaves shaved shaven/shaved shaving

shine shines shined or shone shined or shone shining

Verbs like "win" change spelling and sound in the past and past participle.

base -s form past past participle -ing form

shoot shoots shot shot shooting

wind wins won won winning

The verb "be" has its own unique usage.

be is are or am was or were been/being

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