Most Common Irregular Verbs and How to Use Them
The English language has many irregular verbs, and though they're complicated to learn, they're actually more common than most regular verbs. While the 10 most used verbs in the English language are all irregular, irregular verbs are actually only 3% of all verbs in the English language.
What do you think are the most common verbs in English? Think about the verbs you use most often, either in English or in your native language. Here are the top 10 most used irregular verbs:
1. To be
Simple present: I am, you are, we are, he/she is, they are
Simple past: was, were
Past participle: had, have been
I am tired; You were late; I have been waiting for you.
2. To have
Simple present: I have, you have, we have, he/she has, they have
Simple past: had
Past participle: had
I have a horse; I had a horse; I'd had a horse
3. To do
Simple present: I do, you do, we do, he/she does, they do
Simple past: did
Past participle: have/had done
Do your job; I did my job; You had done your job
4. To go
Simple present: I go, you go, we go, he/she goes, they go
Simple past: went
Past participle: have/had gone
I go to school; I went to school; I have gone to school
5. To say
Simple present: I say, you say, we say, he/she says, they say
Simple past: said
Past participle: have/had said
I say yes; I said yes; I had said yes
6. To see
Simple present: I see, you see, we see, he/she sees, they see
Simple past: saw
Past participle: have/had seen
I see it; I saw it; I have seen it
7. To take
Simple present: I take, you take, we take, he/she takes, they take
Simple past: took
Past participle: have/had taken
I take lessons; I took lessons; I have taken lessons
8. To get
Simple present: I get, you get, we get, he/she gets, they get
Simple past: got
Past participle: have/had gotten
I get confused; I got confused; I have gotten confused
9. Can
Simple present: I can, you can, we can, he/she can, they can
Simple past: could
Past participle: have/had been able to
I can do it; I could do it; I have been able to do it
10. Will
Simple present: I will, you will, we will, he/she will, they will
Simple past: would
I will try; I would try (but)…
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What other irregular verbs do you know in English? Are there any verbs that you have trouble understanding or using? Let us know in the comments!