Irregular Verb
An irregular verb has past and/or past-participle forms that do not follow the ordinary regular -ed pattern and therefore must be learned as part of its paradigm. Irregularity mainly concerns inflectional form; the same verb can still follow ordinary present-tense syntax in other respects.
An irregular verb has past and/or past-participle forms that do not follow the ordinary regular -ed pattern and therefore must be learned as part of its paradigm.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Irregularity mainly concerns inflectional form; the same verb can still follow ordinary present-tense syntax in other respects.
Further guidance
Application
Learn the base, past simple, and past-participle forms together because irregular patterns vary: some forms stay unchanged, some share two forms, and others have three distinct forms.
Core Rule
An irregular verb has past and/or past-participle forms that do not follow the ordinary regular -ed pattern and therefore must be learned as part of its paradigm.
Practical Application
Treat the principal forms as part of the verb’s lexical pattern rather than generating the past and past participle by automatically adding -ed. When editing, check the form required by tense and auxiliary structure.
Reader Check
Does the sentence use the attested simple-past or past-participle form for that verb instead of forcing the regular -ed pattern?
Worked Example
For “write,” use “wrote” for the simple past and “written” after “has/have/had”: “She wrote yesterday” but “She has written twice.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Verbs: basic forms — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct grammar guidance on regular verb forms, -ed past forms, -ing forms, and common spelling changes.