In The Simple Tenses you added -ed to make the past. Verbs that do that are regular. Many of the most common verbs are irregular: they make their past forms in their own ways.
Every verb has three main forms, its principal parts: the base (go), the past (went), and the past participle (gone), which follows has, have or had.
| Base | Past | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | (has) gone |
| see | saw | (has) seen |
| do | did | (has) done |
| bring | brought | (has) brought |
| eat | ate | (has) eaten |
| write | wrote | (has) written |
| take | took | (has) taken |
| begin | began | (has) begun |
| swim | swam | (has) swum |
| think | thought | (has) thought |
| catch | caught | (has) caught |
| ring | rang | (has) rung |
Key idea
The past stands alone (I saw it). The past participle needs a helper (I have seen it). For irregular verbs, learn all three parts.
Why it works
These are the verbs we use most, so readers notice them. The right form also tells the time: I saw is a finished event, I have seen links the past to now.
Worked example: Past, no helper
Yesterday I (see) a hawk.
- No helper, finished time: use the past.
- The past of see is saw.
Answer: Yesterday I saw a hawk.
Worked example: With a helper
She has (go) home.
- Has is a helper, so use the past participle.
- The past participle of go is gone.
Answer: She has gone home.
Worked example: No -ed
He (bring) snacks for everyone.
- Bring is irregular: bring, brought, brought.
Answer: He brought snacks for everyone.
Common mistake
Using the past participle as the past (“I seen it,” “she done it”) or adding -ed to an irregular verb (“bringed”). People say these in everyday speech in many places. Standard written English uses saw and did alone, or have seen and has done with a helper.