Past Simple

ofIrregular verbs

Do you know that 70% of verbs in English are irregular?

Irregular verbs can make you go crazy if you learn them in alphabetical order.

Here is a list:

Revision How to form past simple of Regular

verbs:

verb+-ed

We listened to the teacher. They started school at 8.15.

Spelling variations Verbs ending in -e

Verb+-d He closed the window two minutes ago. She danced in a show last year. Verbs ending in consonant+yy becomes i

Verb+ied He studied English yesterday afternoon. I tried Japanese food last month.

Spelling variations Verbs of one syllable, vowel+consonat

Verb+double consonant+ed The car stopped at the traffic lights. Her phone dropped in the river.

Remind: travelled, preferred, permitted

Consonants we cannot double: w, y, x It snowed yesterday. We played tennis last week.

In this lesson, you’ll learn “groups” of irregular verbs that will help you

remember them better!

How to learn irregular verbs by heart:

Devide verbs into categories

Find out the similarities/assonances

Have a look to the pronunciation

Learn them!

Let’s start:1st groupBase Form Past Simple Past Participle/ɪ/ /æ/ /ʌ/begin began begundrink drank drunkring rang rungsing sang sungswim swam swum

Examples The lesson began 5 minutes ago.

She sang in a choir when she was 12 years old.

I swam in the ocean when I went to the USA.

2nd groupBase Form Past Simple Past Participle

/ɔːt/bring brought broughtbuy bought boughtfightfought foughtthink thought thought

***catch caught caughtteach taught taught

Examples I bought a new pair of sunglasses.

I thought it was a good film.

She taught English at school.

3rd groupBase Form Past Simple Past Participle-ow /əʊ/ -ew/juː/ -own /əʊn/

blow blew blowngrow grew grownknow knew knownthrow threw thrown

***draw drew drawn

Examples The wind blew strongly last night.

I grew up in a farm.

She threw her chewing gum in the bin.

4th group

Base Form Past Simple Past ParticipleInvariable

cost cost costcut cut cuthit hit hitlet let letread /riːd/ read /red/ read /red/set set set

Examples I read a book in my bed yesterday evening.

My mum let me go to a party last weekend.

My purse cost only 5 pounds.

5th group

Base Form Past Simple Past Participledo did donego went gone

Examples My sister went on holidays in England two

weeks ago. My dad did three different jobs last year.

as Homework:

Write down 6 sentences by using the irregular verbs we studied today.

In next lesson:

We’re going to study other four categories.

Thank you!

Materials Past simple of irregular verbs: file

Youtube video: Past simple: tutorial video

List of irregular verbs:

Credits Questa presentazione di Emiliana

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