Principal Parts of Verbs

The four basic forms of a verb are called principal parts of the verb. The principal parts of the verb are the base form, the present participle, the past, and the past participle. The present participle and the past participle require helping verbs. Base FormPresent Part. PastPast Part. talk(is) talkingtalked(have) talked draw(is) drawingdrew(have) drawn

The principal parts of verbs are used to express time. Examples: He draws excellent pictures. (present) Susan is drawing one now. (present part.) Last week they drew two maps. (past) She has often drawn cartoons. (past part.) Perhaps she will draw one for you. (future)

Regular Verbs A regular verb forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed to the base form. Base FormPresent Participle PastPast Participle clean(is) cleaningcleaned(have) cleaned hope(is) hopinghoped(have) hoped inspect(is) inspectinginspected(have) inspected slip(is) slippingslipped(have) slipped

Irregular Verbs An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some other way than by adding –d or –ed to the infinitive form. An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in three ways:

1.By changing vowels or consonants. Base FormPastPast Participle ringrang(have) rung makemade(have) made

2. By changing vowels and consonants Base FormPastPast Participle dodid(have) done gowent(have) gone

3. By making no changes Base FormPastPast Participle Hurt (have) hurt Put (have) put

Common Irregular Verbs Base FormPresent Participle PastPast Participle begin(is) beginningbegan(have) begun bite(is) bitingbit(have) bitten blow(is) blowingblew(have) blown break(is) breakingbroke(have) broken bring(is) bringingbrought(have) brought build(is) buildingbuilt(have) built burst(is) burstingburst(have) burst catch(is) catchingcaught(have) caught choose(is) choosingchose(have) chosen

Common Irregular Verbs Continued Base FormPresent Part.PastPast Participle come(is) comingcame(have) come cost(is) costingcost(have) cost do(is) doingdid(have) done draw(is) drawingdrew(have) drawn drink(is) drinkingdrank(have) drunk drive(is) drivingdrove(have) driven eat(is) eatingate(have) eaten fall(is) fallingfell(have) fallen feel(is) feelingfelt(have) felt

Common Irregular Verbs Continued Base FormPresent Part.PastPast Participle freeze(is) freezingfroze(have) frozen get(is) gettinggot(have) gotten give(is) givinggave(have) given go(is) goingwent(have) gone grow(is) growinggrew(have) grown know(is) knowingknew(have) known lead(is) leadingled(have) led

More Common Irregular Verbs Base FormPresent Part.PastPast Participle Lend(is) lendingLent(have) lent Lose(is) losingLost(have) lost Make(is) makingMade(have) made Meet(is) meetingMet(have) met Ride(is) ridingRode(have) ridden Ring(is) ringingRang(have) rung Run(is) runningRan(have) run Say(is) sayingSaid(have) said See(is) seeingSaw(have) seen Sell(is) sellingSold(have) sold

Base FormPresent Part.PastPast Participle Send(is) sendingSent(have) sent Shrink(is) shrinkingShrank(have) shrunk Sing(is) singingSang(have) sung Sink(is) sinkingSank(have) sunk Speak(is) speakingSpoke(have) spoken Stand(is) standingStood(have) stood Steal(is) stealingStole(have) stolen Swim(is) swimmingSwam(have) swum Swing(is) swingingSwung(have) swung Take(is) takingtook(have) taken

Base FormPresent Part.PastPast Participle Tell(is) tellingTold(have) told Throw(is) throwingThrew(have) thrown Wear(is) wearingWore(have) worn Win(is) winningWon(have) won Write(is) writingWrote(have) written