Irregular verbs don't follow the usual patterns in the past form, so you have to learn them one by one. This guide focuses on the most common irregular verbs that appear in everyday speech and writing.
Key Irregular Verbs
These verbs change their form in unpredictable ways in the past tense and are essential for telling stories about what happened. Practice them with short sentences about your own experiences.
go / went
The verb go changes to went in the past tense, which is used for trips, movements, and events. Use went to describe where you or someone else traveled or moved to.
Every summer we went to the beach for a week.
be / was, were
The verb be changes to was or were depending on the subject, and it is used to describe conditions, places, times, and identities in the past. Choose was for singular subjects and were for plural.
have / had
The verb have becomes had in the past tense and is used both for possession and for experiences or actions that occurred before now. Use had to show that something belonged to someone or that an event took place.
do / did
The verb do changes to did in the past tense and is used for actions, questions, and emphasis. Use did in affirmative sentences, questions, and short answers about past actions.
say / said
The verb say becomes said in the past tense and is used for reported speech and for describing what someone spoke. Use said to relay exact or general statements made by others.
get / got
The verb get changes to got in the past tense and is used for obtaining, becoming, and receiving. Use got to describe when someone acquired something or when a change occurred.
make / made
The verb make becomes made in the past tense and is used for creating, preparing, and causing actions. Use made to describe completed projects, meals, plans, or effects.
come / came
The verb come changes to came in the past tense and is used for arrivals and movements toward a place. Use came to describe when someone arrived or moved to a location.
Tips
Learn irregular verbs by using them in sentences about your own life so they become natural. Pay attention to common verbs in stories, conversations, and writing, and practice both affirmative and negative forms as well as questions.
Summary
Irregular verbs must be memorized because they don't follow standard patterns. Focus on the key verbs like go, be, have, do, say, get, make, and come since they appear everywhere. Practice them in short, meaningful sentences to make them stick.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025