Category 1: irregular ending with no vowel change, V2=V3

group 1: d ending changes to t, ent changes to end

bend bent bent

build built built
lend lent lent
send sent sent
spend spent spent

group 2: the verbs have and make

have \ has had had

make made made

group 3: regular (V2, V3) in US English, irregular in UK English

learn learned \ learnt learned \ learnt
burn burned \ burnt burned \ burnt
dwell dwelled \ dwelt dwelled \ dwelt
smell smelled \ smelt smelled \ smelt
spell spelled \ spelt spelled \ spelt
spill spilled \ spilt spilled \ spilt
spoil spoiled \ spoilt spoiled \ spoilt

group 4: ay ending changes to aid

*said is pronounced /sed/
lay
(the table, laid laid
clothes, eggs)
pay paid paid
*said *said
say
(/sed/) (/sed/)
Category 2: Vowel change, irregular ending, V2=V3

group 5: vowel change , d or t ending

creep crept crept
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt \ kneeled knelt \ kneeled
meet met met
sleep slept slept
sweep swept swept
weep wept wept
group 5: vowel change , d or t ending
creep crept crept
*l eave left left

group 6: different pronunciation of the same vowel

d or t ending
deal dealt dealt
dream dreamed \ dreamt dreamed \ dreamt
lean leaned \ leant leaned \ leant
leap leapt leapt
mean meant meant
read read (/red/) read (/red/)
hear heared heared

group 7: ell turns to old

sell sold sold

tell told told

group 8: vowel change with ought (or *aught) ending

d or t ending
bring brought brought
buy bought bought
fight fought fought
seek sought sought
think thought thought
*catch c aught c aught
*teach t aught t aught

Category 3: Verbs with the same form V1=V2=V3

group 9: Verbs that do not change

d or t ending
bet bet bet
bid (to offer) bid bid
broadcast \ broadcast \
broadcast
broadcasted broadcasted
burst burst burst
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
fit fit fit
(was the right size) (was the right size)
group 9: Verbs that do not change
d or t ending
fitted fitted
(tailored, changed size) (tailored, changed size)
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
let let let
put put put
set set set
shut shut shut
spread spread spread
quit quit quit

Category 4: Vowel change, V3 ending with (e)n

group 10: V2 and V3 with long /o / sound

break broke broken
choose chose chosen
freeze froze frozen
speak spoke spoken
steal stole stolen
awake awoke \ awaked awoken \ awaked
wake woke \ waked woken \ waked
weave wove woven

group 11: V2 long o sound, V3 shirt /i/ sound

arise arose arisen
rise rose risen
*ride rode *ri dden
drive drove driven
*write wrote *wri tten

group 12: The following verbs:

*bite bit *bi tten
*hide hid *hi dden
eat ate eaten
give gave given
forgive forgave forgiven
forbid * forbad(e) forbi dden
* bid
bade *bi dden
( to command, farewell)
group 12: The following verbs:
* forget forgot *forgo tten
get got * go tten (AmE) \ got (BrE)
shake shook shaken
take took taken
see saw seen
beat beat beaten
fall fell fallen
lie
lay lain
( down to rest)

Watch Out !
Do not confuse lie (tell a lie, regular), lie (down to rest, irregular), and lay (the table, irregular).
*lie
lied lied
(tell a lie)
lie
lay lain
(down to rest)
lay
laid laid
(the table, eggs)

group 13: the ear-ore-orn pattern

bear bore born
swear swore sworn
tear tore torn
wear wore worn

group 14: V1 with ow, V2 with ew, V3 with own

blow blew blown

grow grew grown

know knew known

throw threw thrown

fly flew flown

draw drew *dr awn
Category 5: regular V2, regular or irregular V3

group 15
show showed showed \ shown
sow sowed sowed \ sown
mow mowed mowed \ mown
swell swelled swelled \ swollen
sew sewed sewed \ sewn
*shine
shined shined
(the shoes)
*shine
shone shone
(brightly)

Category 6: vowel change, no ending, V2=V3

group 16: vowel change pattern, no ending

dig dug dug
stick stuck stuck
spin spun spun
sting stung stung
strike struck struck
swing swung swung
*hang
hanged hanged
(a man)
*hang
hung hung
(a picture)
slide slid slid
light lighted \ lit lighted \ lit
shoot shot shot

group 17: vowel change pattern i - ou - ou

bind bound bound
find found found
grind ground ground
wind wound wound

group 18: vowel change ee - e - e

bleed bled bled
feed fed fed
flee fled fled
*lead led led
*speed speeded \ sped speeded \ sped
Category 7: The craziest verbs !

group 19: vowel change pattern i - a - u

begin began begun
drink drank drunk
ring rang rung
shrink shrank shrunk
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
spin span \ spun spun
spring sprang sprung
swim swam swum

group 20: vowel change, V1=V3

come came come
become became become
run ran run

group 21: miscellaneous

the verb to be
am was
is was been
are were
go went gone
*dive
dove dived
(jumped head first)
*dive
dived dived
(scuba-diving)
do did done
can could
may might
hold held held
stand stood stood
understand understood understood
sit sat sat
babysit babysat babysat
win won won
lose lost lost