R2

Irregular verbs
This appendix lists all the verbs with irregular forms that are included
in the dictionary, except for those formed with a hyphenated prefix
and the modal verbs (e.g. can, must). Irregular forms that are only
used in certain senses are marked with an asterisk (e.g. *been). Full
information on usage, pronunciation, etc. is given at the entry.
Infinitive

Past tense

arise
bear
beat
become
begin
bend
bid
bind
bite
bleed
blow
break
breastfeed
breed
bring
broadcast

arose
bore
beat
became
began
bent
bid
bound
bit
bled
blew
broke
breastfed
bred
brought
broadcast

build
burn
burst
buy
cast
catch
choose
come
cost
cut
deal
dig
draw
dream
drink
drive
dwell
eat
fall
feed
feel
fight
find
fit
flee
fly
forbid
forecast

Past
participle

arisen
borne
beaten
become
begun
bent
bid
bound
bitten
bled
blown
broken
breastfed
bred
brought
broadcast,
broadcasted
built
built
burnt, burned burnt, burned
burst
burst
bought
bought
cast
cast
caught
caught
chose
chosen
came
come
cost, *costed
cost, *costed
cut
cut
dealt
dealt
dug
dug
drew
drawn
dreamt,
dreamt,
dreamed
dreamed
drank
drunk
drove
driven
dwelt, dwelled dwelt, dwelled
ate
eaten
fell
fallen
fed
fed
felt
felt
fought
fought
found
found
fitted (NAmE
fitted (NAmE
usually fit)
usually fit)
fled
fled
flew
flown
forbade
forbidden
forecast,
forecast,
forecasted
forecasted

Infinitive

Past tense

foresee
forget
forgive
forgo
freeze
get

foresaw
forgot
forgave
forwent
froze
got

Past
participle

foreseen
forgotten
forgiven
forgone
frozen
got (NAmE
spoken gotten)
give
gave
given
go
went
gone, *been
grow
grew
grown
hang
hung,
hung,
*hanged
*hanged
hear
heard
heard
hide
hid
hidden
hit
hit
hit
hold
held
held
hurt
hurt
hurt
input
input,
input,
inputted
inputted
keep
kept
kept
knit
knitted, *knit
knitted, *knit
know
knew
known
lay
laid
laid
lead
led
led
lean
leaned (BrE
leaned (BrE
also leant)
also leant)
learn
learnt, learned learnt, learned
leave
left
left
lend
lent
lent
let
let
let
lie
lay
lain
light
lit, *lighted
lit, *lighted
lose
lost
lost
make
made
made
mean
meant
meant
meet
met
met
mislead
misled
misled
mistake
mistook
mistaken
misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood
offset
offset
offset
output
output
output
overcome
overcame
overcome
override
overrode
overridden
oversee
oversaw
overseen
overtake
overtook
overtaken
overthrow
overthrew
overthrown
pay
paid
paid

R3
Infinitive

Past tense

Past
participle

Infinitive

Past tense

Past
participle

plead

pleaded
(NAmE also
pled)
proved

pleaded
(NAmE also
pled)
proved
(also proven
especially in
NAmE)
put
quit (BrE also
quitted)

spill

spilled
(BrEalso spilt)

spilled
(BrEalso spilt)

spin
split
spoil

spun
split
spoiled
(BrEalso spoilt)
spread
sprang (NAmE
also sprung)
stood
stole
stuck
struck
strove, *strived

spun
split
spoiled
(BrEalso spoilt)
spread
sprung

prove

put
quit

put
quit (BrE also
quitted)

read /rid/
rebuild
redraw
rethink
rewrite
rid
ring
rise
run
say
see
seek
sell
send
set
sew
shake
shed
shine
shoot
show

read /red/
rebuilt
redrew
rethought
rewrote
rid
rang
rose
ran
said
saw
sought
sold
sent
set
sewed
shook
shed
shone, *shined
shot
showed

shrink
shut
sing
sit
sleep
slide
smell
speak
spell
spend

read /red/
rebuilt
redrawn
rethought
rewritten
rid
rung
risen
run
said
seen
sought
sold
sent
set
sewn, sewed
shaken
shed
shone, *shined
shot
shown,
*showed
shrank, shrunk shrunk
shut
shut
sang
sung
sat
sat
slept
slept
slid
slid
smelled
smelled
(BrEalso smelt) (BrEalso smelt)
spoke
spoken
spelt, spelled
spelt, spelled
spent
spent

spread
spring
stand
steal
stick
strike
strive

stood
stolen
stuck
struck
striven,
*strived
sweep
swept
swept
swell
swelled
swollen,
swelled
swim
swam
swum
swing
swung
swung
take
took
taken
teach
taught
taught
tear
tore
torn
tell
told
told
think
thought
thought
throw
threw
thrown
thrust
thrust
thrust
undergo
underwent
undergone
underlie
underlay
underlain
understand
understood
understood
undertake
undertook
undertaken
uphold
upheld
upheld
upset
upset
upset
wake
woke
woken
wear
wore
worn
weave
wove
woven
win
won
won
wind /wand/ wound wound
/wand/
/wand/
withdraw
withdrew
withdrawn
withhold
withheld
withheld
withstand
withstood
withstood
write
wrote
written

R4

Be, do, have

Full
forms

Short
forms

Negative
short forms

be present tense
I am
you are
he is
she is
it is
we are
you are
they are

Im
youre
hes
shes
its
were
youre
theyre

Im not
you arent/youre not
he isnt/hes not
she isnt/shes not
it isnt/its not
we arent/were not
you arent/youre not
they arent/theyre not

I wasnt
you werent
he wasnt
she wasnt
it wasnt
we werent
you werent
they werent

have present tense

I have
you have
he has
she has
it has
we have
you have
they have

Ive
youve
hes
shes
its
weve
youve
theyve

Questions in the present and past are formed by

placing the verb before the subject:
u

I havent/Ive not
you havent/youve not
he hasnt/hes not
she hasnt/shes not
it hasnt/its not
we havent/weve not
you havent/youve not
they havent/theyve not

hadnt

has he not? do you not? am I not? etc.

u

arent I?

u

But note that all short forms are rather

informal and are best avoided in academic and
formal writing.

When do or have is used as a main verb,

questions and negative statements can be

formed with do/does/do not/does not and
did/did not:
Did she do much for nursing research?
The product does not do what it is supposed
to do.
u


What image do residents have of the cities they
inhabit?
u

These two changes did not have an immediate
effect.

u

u

The short forms ve, s and d are not usually

used when have is a main verb:

I dont
you dont
he doesnt
she doesnt
it doesnt
we dont
you dont
they dont

do past tense (all persons)

did

werent we?
didnt I?

arent:

do present tense
I do
you do
he does
she does
it does
we do
you do
they do

was I?
did I?
etc.

The short negative question form for I am is

Id
youd
etc.

isnt he?
dont you?
hadnt they?

formal. Notice the change in word order:

have past tense (all persons)

had

am I?
do I?
have I?

Questions using the negative full form are more

be past tense
I was
you were
he was
she was
it was
we were
you were
they were

be
do
have
present
being
doing
having
participle
past
been
done
had
participle
The negative full forms are formed by adding not.

didnt

I have a shower every morning.

not Ive a shower every morning.

u

The short form s can be added to other subjects

in informal writing:

Sallys ill.
The cars been damaged.

u

u

The other tenses of be, do and have are

formed in the same way as those of other verbs:

u

will be
will do
will have

would be
would do
would have

has been
has done
have had; etc.

The pronunciation of each form of be, do and

have is given at its entry in the dictionary.