Irregular verbs

1. Concepts

- As its name suggests, a verb that does not follow the usual rules when changing to the past form or past participle is called irregular verbs.

For example: 

• begin has a past form of began and the participle form is begun.

More than 70% of the time we use verbs in English, we are using irregular verbs. Be, have, do, go, say, come, take, get, make, see,…

Do you feel familiar? These are all the most common verbs in English, and they are all irregular verbs. So are there any general transformation rules for irregular verbs? The answer is no, if you want to remember, the only way is to memorize. However, we have some tips to make studying more effective.

2. Table 360 irregular verbs

3. The secret to learning the table of irregular verbs effectively

3.1. Learn the table of irregular verbs  in groups

Instead of memorizing the whole table of irregular verbs, to make it easier to remember, you can also divide these verbs into different groups.

For example:

• Group of verbs that do not change in all three forms: bet,  burst,  cast, cost,  cut, fit, hit,  hurt, let, put, quit,  set, shut, split, spread;

• Group of verbs with the same infinitive and past participle form: become,  come, run;

• Group of verbs with the same past and past participle forms: built, lend, send, spend;

Table of irregular verbs

3.2. Learn irregular verbs with flashcards

- This is a effective way to learn vocabulary Used by many people, you can take it to school anytime, anywhere.

Write down the infinitive form of the word on one side, the past and past perfect forms on the other side and study on your own using flashcards. Repeating many times is the way to help remember words. You should also write down the pronunciation of the word. Every time you learn a word, make a sentence and read it out loud!With this way of learning, setting yourself a goal of learning 5-10 words every day, mastering the table of irregular verbs is not too far-fetched.

3.3. Learn irregular verbs through songs

Learn English through songs which is not something strange. And there are also many songs that help you memorize the table of irregular verbs in English naturally and remember it longer.

- Compared to single words, our brain absorbs the melody of a song much faster and easier. Songs will help associate memorable melodies with words and content to learn. You will be surprised at your learning ability when studying with music!

3.4. Learn irregular verb tables through online applications and games

- Currently there are many English vocabulary learning softwareand is highly appreciated. English Irregular Verbs is the application I used to learn the irregular verb table in English. The application provides pronunciation, usage of irregular verbs in English and reflex-boosting tests. Besides, word learning games are also an effective way to practice.