1. Understanding Verb Forms
What are the principal parts of verbs?
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Review A
Review B

2. What are the principal parts of verbs?
Verbs change forms to fit different uses, much as people change clothes to fit different situations.
He wears stripes for the game.
He has worn a uniform before.
He wore a tuxedo for his wedding.

3. What are the principal parts of verbs?
Verbs have four principal parts, each of which performs a different function.
Base Form
begin
join
Present Participle
[is] beginn
ing
[is] join
ing
Past
beg a n
join ed
Past Participle
[have] beg u n
[have] join ed
More about participles

4. What are the principal parts of verbs? Participles
When used as part of a verb phrase, participles follow a helping verb.
Helping Verb
Helping Verb
Ken is joining us.
Ken is joining us.
The movie has begun.
The movie has begun.
Verb Phrase
Verb Phrase

5. What are the principal parts of verbs?
These principal parts are used to form all the different verb tenses.
Base Form
They always begin on time.
Present Participle
They are beginning now.
Past
They began early yesterday.
Past Participle
They have begun already.

6. What are the principal parts of verbs? Tense
The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or state of being expressed by the verb.
Perfect tenses indicate that something happened or existed before a specific point in time.
Past
Present
Future
Past
Future
Present
Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Future Perfect
By June she will have taken dance for five years.
She took an advanced class last summer.
Lisa will take tap dancing next year.
She has taken lessons for four years.
Lisa had taken piano before.
Lisa takes ballet lessons.

7. Regular verbs
A regular verb generally forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed to the base form.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
bake
bake d
[have] bake d
happen
happen ed
[have] happen ed
The present participle is formed by adding –ing.
Present Participle
happen
ing

8. Regular verbs Adding –ing, -d, or –ed
Most regular verbs that end in e drop the e before adding –ing.
dance
danc
ing
Some verbs double the final consonant before adding –ing or –ed.
trimm
trim
ing
trimm
trim ed

9. Regular verbs Adding –d or –ed
Avoid the common mistake of leaving the –d or –ed ending off the past or past participle form.
Grammar Guy Says...
Nonstandard
The firefighter risk his life.
We should have ask for directions.
Standard
The firefighter risked his life.
We should have asked for directions.

10. Regular verbs
A few regular verbs have alternative past and past participle forms that end in -t.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
burn
burn ed
[have] burn ed or
burn t or
[have] burn t
dream
dream ed
[have] dream ed or
dream t or
[have] dream t

11. Regular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
1. I think you (stir) that batter too much.
2. During the journey the people on the wagon train had (survive) every sort of hardship.
3. Jamal (use) to work for a messenger service.
4. My dad (burn) his toast at breakfast.

12. Regular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
1. I think you stirred that batter too much.
Stir is a regular verb. Add –ed to form the past form.

13. Regular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
2. During the journey the people on the wagon train had survived every sort of hardship.
Survive is a regular verb. Add –ed to form the past participle.

14. Regular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
3. Jamal used to work for a messenger service.
Use is a regular verb. Add –ed to form the past form.

15. Regular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
4. My dad burned his toast at breakfast. or
4. My dad burnt his toast at breakfast.
Burn has an alternative past form that ends in -t.

16. Regular verbs On Your Own
Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present participle) of the italicized verb, as indicated in parentheses.
1. A rolling, green meadow (stretch) before them. (past)
2. The class is (paint) a mural for the hallway. (present participle)
3. Have you (revise) your essay yet? (past participle)
4. The cat (jump) onto the counter and knocked over a glass of juice. (past)
5. We are (conduct) a survey. (present participle)
[End of Section]

17. Irregular verbs Some verbs do not fit the regular pattern.
An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some way other than by adding –d or –ed.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
swim sw a m
[have] sw u m
burst
burst
[have] burst

18. Grammar Guy Says... Irregular verbs
When forming the past and past participles of irregular verbs, avoid the common error of adding –d, -ed, or –t to the base form.
Grammar Guy Says...
Nonstandard
Standard
We bursted into laughter as soon as we saw the comedian.
We burst into laughter as soon as we saw the comedian.

19. Irregular verbs Changing vowels
1. Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing vowels.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
drink dr a nk
[have] dr u nk
Other verbs that change vowels
become
became
[have] become
find
found
[have] found
meet
met
[have] met
ring
rang
[have] rung

20. Irregular verbs Changing consonants
2. Other irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing consonants.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
make ma d e
[have] ma d e
Other verbs that change consonants
build
built
[have] built
hear
heard
[have] heard
lend
lent
[have] lent
spend
spent
[have] spent

21. Irregular verbs Changing vowels and consonants
3. Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing both vowels and consonants.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
see s aw
[have] s
een
Other verbs that change vowels and consonants
buy
bought
[have] bought
break
broke
[have] broken
feel
felt
[have] felt go
went
[have] gone

22. Irregular verbs No change
4. A few irregular verbs make no change at all in their past and past participle forms.
Base Form
Past
Past Participle
set
set
[have] set
Other verbs that make no change
burst
[have] burst
cost
[have] cost
hurt
[have] hurt
read
[have] read

23. Grammar Guy Says... Irregular verbs
Do not use the past form with a helping verb.
Grammar Guy Says...
Nonstandard
Standard
I never swam in this lake before.
I have never swam in this lake before.
Also, do not use a past participle form without a helping verb.
Nonstandard
Standard
She has swum to shore to get help.
She swum to shore to get help.

24. Irregular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
1. Aunt Crystal (send) me a postcard from Spain.
2. Dan has (bring) chicken for the picnic.
3. The mother (speak) softly to the small child.
4. Where have I (put) my notebook?

25. Irregular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
1. Aunt Crystal sent me a postcard from Spain.
The past form of send is sent.

26. Irregular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
2. Dan has brought chicken for the picnic.
The past participle of bring is brought.

27. Irregular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
3. The mother spoke softly to the small child.
The past form of speak is spoke.

28. Irregular verbs
Give the correct past or past participle form of each verb in parentheses.
4. Where have I put my notebook?
The past form of put is put.

29. Irregular verbs On Your Own
Give the correct form (past or past participle) of each verb in parentheses.
1. I bought the tickets even though they ________ too much. (cost)
2. Greg has finally ________ the answer. (find)
3. Dad has ________ Rusty to visit the veterinarian. (take)
4. The girls ________ hats for the nature hike. (wear)
5. She ________ everything she could to help us. (do)
[End of Section]

30. Review A
Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present participle) of each italicized verb, as indicated in parentheses.
1. Have you ever (fly) a Japanese dragon kite? (past participle)
2. We (see) three movies last weekend. (past)
3. Bill is (cut) the fabric for the drapes. (present participle)
4. The pitcher (throw) the ball to the first baseman. (past)
5. The government class has (go) to observe the city council in session. (past participle)

31. The End