English lessons 2008 – Analía Kandel, M.A.

akandel@ciudad.com.ar – www.analiakandel.com.ar

Categorize irregular verbs into morphological groups

1 –ind –ound –ound

find found found (encontrar)
bind bound bound (unir /encuadernar)
wind wound wound (to turn / enrollar / dar cuerda)
grind ground ground (moler)

2 –ee –e –e
meet met met (conocer)
sleep slept slept (dormir)
feed fed fed (alimentar)
sweep swept swept (barrer)
bleed bled bled (sangrar)
feel felt felt (sentir)
keep kept kept (guardar, mantener)

3 –d –t –t
send sent sent (enviar)
lend lent lent (prestar)
bend bent bent (doblar)
build built built (construir)

4 –ch – aught - aught

catch caught caught (atrapar)
teach taught taught (enseñar)

5 –ought –ought
bring brought brought (traer)
buy bought bought (comprar)
fight fought fought (luchar, pelear)

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 English lessons 2008 – Analía Kandel, M.A.
akandel@ciudad.com.ar – www.analiakandel.com.ar

6 –ea –ore –orn

tear tore torn (desgarrar)
wear wore worn (usar)
bear1 bore borne (soportar, tolerar, aceptar)

7 –ew –own
blow blew blown (soplar / explotar)
know knew known (saber)
grow grew grown (crecer)
fly flew flown (volar)

8 3 identical
hurt hurt hurt (doler)
put put put (poner)
hit hit hit (pegar)
set set set (poner)
let let let (dejar / permitir)
bet bet bet (apostar / pronosticar)
cost cost cost (costar)

9 –i –i –I + double consonant
hide hid hidden (esconder)
bite bit bitten (picar)

10 –i –o –i + consonant(s) + –en
ride rode ridden (andar en bici, moto, etc. o a caballo)
drive drove driven (manejar)
write wrote written (escribir)

11 –e –old –old
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ACCEPT / DEAL WITH 1(used with can / could in negative sentences and questions) to be able to accept and
deal with sth unpleasant SYN stand: [vn] The pain was almost more than he could bear. She couldn’t bear the
thought of losing him. [v -ing] I can’t bear having cats in the house. [v to inf] How can you bear to eat that stuff?
[v -ing, v to inf] He can’t bear being laughed at. He can’t bear to be laughed at. [also vn -ing]

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 English lessons 2008 – Analía Kandel, M.A.
akandel@ciudad.com.ar – www.analiakandel.com.ar

sell sold sold (vender)

tell told told (decir)

12 –oke –oken
break broke broken (romper)
awake awoke awoken (despertar)

13 –i – a –i + consonant(s) + –en
give gave given (dar)
forbid forbade forbidden (prohibir)
forgive forgave forgiven (perdonar)

14 –n –nt –nt
lean leant leant (apoyar, reclinar)
learn learnt learnt (aprender)
mean meant meant (significar, querer decir)
/i:/ /e/ /e/
burn burnt burnt (quemar)

15 –ay –aid –aid

lay laid laid (colocar)
pay paid paid (pagar)
/ei/ /ei/ /ei/
say said said (decir)
/ei/ /e/ /e/

16 –o(s/z)e + o(s/z)en
freeze froze frozen (congelar)
choose chose chosen (elegir)

17 –i –a –u

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 English lessons 2008 – Analía Kandel, M.A.
akandel@ciudad.com.ar – www.analiakandel.com.ar

shrink shrank shrunk (encoger)

sink sank sunk (hundir)
sing sang sung (cantar)
spring sprang sprung (levantarse rápido)
begin began begun (comenzar)
drink drank drunk (beber)

18 –ow – owed - own

show showed shown (mostrar)
sow sowed sown (sembrar)

19 –ll –lt –lt

spell spelt spelt (deletrear)
smell smelt smelt (oler)
spill spelt spelt (derramar: “It’s no use crying over spilt milk)
spoil spoilt spoilt (arruinar, malcriar, eg. spoil a plan, spoil a child)