Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle with a consistent pattern, usually by adding -ed to the base form. This makes them predictable compared with irregular verbs, which change in different ways. Regularity is about the verb’s past forms, not about whether the meaning is common or the spelling looks simple.

In English, a verb is commonly described with these key forms: base form, third-person singular present, past tense, and past participle. For regular verbs, the past tense and past participle have the same -ed form. Learning these forms helps you use regular verbs correctly in simple tenses and in perfect and passive structures.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
Base form	The dictionary form used after subjects like I, you, we, they and after to	I work. I want to work.
Third-person singular	Present form for he, she, it with -s or -es	She works.
Past tense	Finished action in the past, typically -ed for regular verbs	They worked yesterday.
Past participle	Form used with have and in passives, usually -ed for regular verbs	I have worked. The task was worked on.

To form the past tense of regular verbs, add -ed to the base form. This past form is used in the simple past to describe completed actions, past states, and sequences of events. Time words like yesterday, last week, and in 2020 often appear with the simple past, but the past tense can be used without them when the time is clear.

For regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the past tense form: base plus -ed. Use it with have to form perfect tenses, and with be to form passive voice. This is a key feature of regular verbs: one consistent -ed form covers both past tense and past participle.

Adding -ed follows spelling rules that keep pronunciation and readability consistent. Some verbs take -d instead of -ed, some change y to i, and some double the final consonant. These are still regular because the change is predictable and follows standard patterns.

Rule	Example
Add -ed to most verbs	play → played
If the verb ends in e, add -d	like → liked
If the verb ends in consonant plus y, change y to i and add -ed	study → studied
If the verb ends in vowel plus y, just add -ed	enjoy → enjoyed
Double the final consonant in many one-syllable verb patterns ending consonant-vowel-consonant	stop → stopped
Do not double when the last letter is w, x, or y	fix → fixed

The -ed ending has three common pronunciations, chosen by the final sound of the base verb. This affects spoken clarity and listening comprehension. The spelling is the same, but the sound changes: /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/.

Rule	Description	Notation	Example
After voiceless sounds	-ed is pronounced /t/ after sounds like /p k f s ʃ tʃ/	/t/	laughed /læft/ → laughed /læft/ plus /t/ sound at end: laughed /læft/
After voiced sounds	-ed is pronounced /d/ after vowels and voiced consonants like /b g v z ʒ m n l r/	/d/	played /pleɪd/
After /t/ or /d/	-ed adds a full syllable /ɪd/ after verbs ending in /t/ or /d/	/ɪd/	needed /ˈniːdɪd/

Regular verbs also follow predictable patterns in the present tense, especially in the third-person singular. Add -s to most verbs, -es to verbs ending in s, sh, ch, x, or z, and change consonant plus y to -ies. This is not about past regularity, but it is part of using regular verbs accurately in everyday sentences.

Rule	Example
Add -s for he, she, it	He works every day.
Add -es after s, sh, ch, x, z	She watches TV.
Consonant plus y changes to -ies	It studies at night.
Vowel plus y takes -s	He enjoys music.

Perfect tenses use have plus the past participle. With regular verbs, that participle is the -ed form, so the structure is consistent across subjects and time. Use the present perfect to connect past actions to now, and the past perfect to show an earlier past action before another past event.

Passive voice uses be plus the past participle to focus on the action or the receiver rather than the doer. With regular verbs, the past participle is the -ed form, which keeps passive formation straightforward. The agent can be added with by when it matters, or omitted when unknown or unimportant.

A verb is regular if its past tense and past participle follow the standard -ed pattern or its predictable spelling variants like -d or -ied. A verb is irregular if it forms the past tense or past participle in another way, such as go → went or take → taken. Knowing whether a verb is regular helps you choose the correct past and participle forms quickly and accurately.