Musical English Lessons International, England

Established since 1993

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Irregular Verb Practice

Constructions using the gerund or infinitive

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

RELATED PAGES ON THIS WEBSITE

IRREGULAR VERBS  

IMPORTANT POINTS: 

  • Instead of using 3 columns, my method is to teach irregular verbs using five columns (as shown below);  this is to prevent confusion with tense forms, to aid tense efficiency and to illustrate that the simple present form is NOT the infinitive.

  • Some verbs also have regular forms (usually used in literature) and these are given below;  however, do NOT use regular forms in exams, as you may lose marks if the examiner is not aware of them.

  • The formation of the GERUND gives a good illustration of how the following spelling rules apply:

    • vowel/consonant/vowel

    • vowel/2 consonants/vowel)

1

INFINITIVE

2

SIMPLE PAST 

(+ only)

 3

PAST PARTICIPLE

 4

GERUND

 5

SIMPLE PRESENT 

(+ only)
be was/were been being am/is/are
beat beat beaten beating beat/beats
become became become becoming become/becomes

begin

 began begun beginning begin/begins
bend bent bent bending bend/bends
bite bit bitten biting bite/bites
blow blew blown blowing blow/blows
break broke broken breaking break/breaks
bring brought brought bringing bring/brings
build built built building build/builds
burn

  • burnt

  • burned

  • burnt

  • burned

 burning burn/burns
buy bought bought buying buy/buys
catch caught caught catching catch/catches
choose chose chosen choosing choose/chooses
come came come coming come/comes
cost cost cost costing cost/costs
cut cut cut cutting cut/cuts
dig dug dug digging dig/digs
do did done doing do/does
draw drew drawn drawing draw/draws
dream

  • dreamt

  • dreamed

  • dreamt

  • dreamed

 dreaming dream/dreams
drink drank drunk drinking drink/drinks
drive drove driven driving drive/drives
eat ate eaten eating eat/eats
fall fell fallen falling fall/falls
feed fed fed feeding feed/feeds
feel felt felt feeling feel/feels
find found found finding find/finds
fly flew flown flying fly/flies
forget forgot forgotten forgetting forget/forgets
freeze froze frozen freezing freeze/freezes
get got

  • [UK] got

  • [US] gotten

 getting get/gets
give gave given giving give/gives
go went gone going go/goes
have had had having have/has
hear heard heard hearing hear/hears
hide hid hidden hiding hide/hides
hit hit hit hitting hit/hits
hold held held holding hold/holds
hurt hurt hurt hurting hurt/hurts
keep kept kept keeping keep/keeps
know knew known knowing know/knows
lay

(=set/prepare something )

 laid laid laying lay/lays
lie

(=recline)

 lay lain lying lie/lies
lie

(=fabricate)

 lied lied lying lie/lies
learn

  • learnt

  • learned

  • learnt

  • learned

 learning learn/learns
leave left left leaving leave/leaves
lend lent lent lending lend/lend
let let let letting let/lets
light

  • lit

  • lighted

  • lit

  • lighted

 lighting light/lights
lose lost lost losing lose/loses
make made made making make/makes
mean meant meant meaning mean/means
meet met met meeting meet/meets
put put put putting put/puts
read read   /e/ read   /e/ reading read/reads
ride rode ridden riding ride/rides
ring rang rung ringing ring/rings
run ran run running run/runs
say said said saying say/says
see saw seen seeing see/sees
sell sold sold selling sell/sells
send sent sent sending send/sends
set set set setting set/sets
shake shook shaken shaking shake/shakes
shine shone shone shining shine/shines
shoot shot shot shooting shoot/shoots
shut shut shut shutting shut/shuts
sing sang sung singing sing/sings
sit sat sat sitting sit/sits
sleep slept slept sleeping sleep/sleeps
slide slid slid sliding slide/slides
smell smelt smelt smelling smell/smells
speak spoke spoken speaking speak/speaks
spell

  • spelt

  • spelled

  • spelt

  • spelled

 spelling spell/spells
spend spent spent spending spend/spends
stand stood stood standing stand/stands
steal stole stolen stealing steal/steals
swim swam swum swimming swim/swims
take took taken taking take/takes
teach taught taught teaching teach/teaches
tear tore torn tearing tear/tears
tell told told telling tell/tells
think thought thought thinking think/thinks
understand understood understood understanding understand/understands
win won won winning win/wins

PRACTICE: (Verbs & Tenses)

Complete the following then check with the table above or use the above table as a matching exercise

1

INFINITIVE

2

SIMPLE PAST 

(+ only)

 3

PAST PARTICIPLE

 4

GERUND

 5

SIMPLE PRESENT 

(+ only)
be        
    beaten    
        become/becomes

 

   begun    
bend        
      biting  
  blew      
    broken    
  brought      
    built    
burn        
        buy/buys
      catching  
    chosen    
come        
        cost/costs
      cutting  
  dug      
    done    
    drawn    
dream        
      drinking  
drive        
        eat/eats
      falling  
  fed      
    felt    
      finding  
fly        
      forgetting  
        freeze/freezes
   

  • got (Br)

  • gotten (Am)

    
give        
      going  
    had    
      hearing  
  hid      
    hit    
  held      
hurt        
    kept    
      knowing  
lay

(=set/prepare something )

        
lie

(=recline)

        
lie

(=fabricate)

        
      learning  
        leave/leaves
  lent      
    let    
light        
      losing  
        make/makes
mean        
      meeting  
      putting  
read        
      riding  
        ring/rings
run        
    said    
        see/sees
  sold      
    sent    
        set/sets
shake        
      shining  
    shot    
  shut      
      singing  
sit        
    slept    
  slid      
      smelling  
        speak/speaks
    spelt    
    spent    
  stood      
        steal/steals
swim        
      taking  
  taught      
    torn    
      telling  
        think/thinks
understand        
    won    

Where to find tenses exercises in course books

  • FEEL 

    • Business Basics unit:7

  • GET 

    • Headway Upper Intermediate unit:8

    • Headway Pre-Intermediate unit 13

    • Upper Intermediate Matters unit:13

  • LET 

    • Business Objectives unit:6

  • MAKE/DO 

    • Headway Pre-Intermediate unit:8

  • MAKE/LET 

    • Cambridge English Course-2 unit:23

    • Cambridge English Course-3 unit:15

    • Headway Pre-Intermediate unit:12

    • Upper Intermediate Matters unit: 6

  • THINK Business Basics units:7/9

  • Free Worksheets on this website

VERBS FOLLOWED BY THE GERUND OR INFINITIVE (WITH/WITHOUT 'TO')

  • s.o. = someone

  • s.t.  = something

  • #     = no difference in meaning 

  • *     = different 

VERB

+ FULL OR BARE INFINITIVE

+ GERUND
accuse   s.o. of stealing s.t.
admit   to stealing s.t.
advise s.o. to relax  
agree to co-operate with s.o.  
aim to finish s.t.  
allow s.o. to go  
apologise   for being late
approve   of s.o.'s actions
assist   s.o. in moving house
attempt to swim  
avoid   meeting s.o.
beg s.o. to stay  
# begin to study s.t. studying s.t.
believe   in giving s.t.
beware   of losing s.t.
blame   s.o. for losing s.t.
* bother to collect s.t. about wearing s.t.
cease to amaze s.o. trying
claim to own s.t.  
confess   to murdering s.o.
contemplate   buying s.t.
continue to argue with s.o. arguing
cope   with living somewhere
cure   s.o. of stammering
decide to move s.t. against moving house
delay   putting s.t. into practice
deny   stealing s.t.
despair   of learning s.t. difficult
deter   s.o. from doing s.t.
detest   getting up early
discourage   s.o. from taking s.t.
dissuade   s.o. from hurting themselves
dread to think s.t. facing s.t.
dream   of winning s.t.
encourage s.o. to ask s.t.  
endeavour to please s.o.  
enjoy   swimming
envisage   having s.t.
escape   from being killed
evade   paying taxes
excel   in doing s.t.
excuse   s.o. for interrupting
fail to realise s.t.  
fancy   doing s.t.
feel like   drinking s.t.
forget to lock s.t.  
* go on to add s.t. working
guarantee to repay s.t.  
# hate to dance dancing
help s.o. to carry s.t.  
imagine   living somewhere
indulge   in drinking
insist   on seeing s.t./s.o.
keep   moving
keep on   repeating s.t.
* leave s.o. to wash up  s.o. standing alone
let s.t./s.o. go  
# like to work working
would like s.o. to see s.t.  
# loathe to touch s.t. touching s.t.
long to go somewhere  
look forward   to receiving s.t.
# love  to watch s.t.  watching s.t.
make s.o. wait (for s.t.)  
manage to finish s.t.  
mean to kill s.o.   
mind   doing s.t.
miss   seeing s.o.
object   to s.o. doing s.t.
offer to help s.o.  
pay s.o. to clean s.t.  s.o. for cleaning s.t.
permit s.o. to smoke  
persist   in interrupting
persuade s.o. to change their mind  
prefer to sit down singing to dancing
pretend to be s.o.  
prevent   s.o. from falling
profit    from doing s.t.
prohibit   s.o. from entering somewhere
punish   s.o. for stealing
recall   meeting s.o.
refuse to speak to s.o.  
* regret to say that..... hurting s.o.
* remember

  • to meet s.o.

  • to do s.t.

 meeting s.o. (past)
resist   shouting at s.o.
risk   losing s.t.
# start to speak (to s.o.) speaking
* stop to drink (when thirsty) drinking (give up)
suspect   s.o. of lying
# try to achieve s.t. giving up
urge s.o. to do s.t.  
volunteer to do s.t.  
want s.o. to listen   
warn s.o. to be careful s.o. against doing s.t.
IDIOMS

can’t help 

   laughing