Un verbe irrégulier ne forme pas son prétérit et son participe passé en ajoutant -ed : on dit « went » et « gone », pas « goed ».
Le prétérit sert à parler d'une action terminée dans le passé : « I went to London last year ». Le participe passé s'utilise avec have pour former le present perfect (« I have seen this film ») et avec be pour le passif (« The house was built in 1900 »).
Il n'y a pas de règle pour les deviner : il faut les apprendre par cœur. Bonne nouvelle, beaucoup fonctionnent par familles : sing, sang, sung ; ring, rang, rung ; drink, drank, drunk.
| Base verbale | Prétérit | Participe passé | Traduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was / were | been | être |
| become | became | become | devenir |
| begin | began | begun | commencer |
| bite | bit | bitten | mordre |
| break | broke | broken | casser |
| bring | brought | brought | apporter |
| build | built | built | construire |
| buy | bought | bought | acheter |
| catch | caught | caught | attraper |
| choose | chose | chosen | choisir |
| come | came | come | venir |
| cost | cost | cost | coûter |
| cut | cut | cut | couper |
| do | did | done | faire |
| draw | drew | drawn | dessiner |
| drink | drank | drunk | boire |
| drive | drove | driven | conduire |
| eat | ate | eaten | manger |
| fall | fell | fallen | tomber |
| feel | felt | felt | ressentir |
| fight | fought | fought | se battre |
| find | found | found | trouver |
| fly | flew | flown | voler (dans les airs) |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | oublier |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | pardonner |
| freeze | froze | frozen | geler |
| get | got | got / gotten | obtenir |
| give | gave | given | donner |
| go | went | gone | aller |
| grow | grew | grown | grandir |
| have | had | had | avoir |
| hear | heard | heard | entendre |
| hide | hid | hidden | cacher |
| hit | hit | hit | frapper |
| hold | held | held | tenir |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | blesser |
| keep | kept | kept | garder |
| know | knew | known | savoir, connaître |
| lead | led | led | mener |
| learn | learnt / learned | learnt / learned | apprendre |
| leave | left | left | partir, quitter |
| lend | lent | lent | prêter |
| let | let | let | laisser |
| lose | lost | lost | perdre |
| make | made | made | fabriquer |
| mean | meant | meant | signifier |
| meet | met | met | rencontrer |
| pay | paid | paid | payer |
| put | put | put | mettre, poser |
| read | read | read | lire |
| ride | rode | ridden | monter (à cheval, à vélo) |
| ring | rang | rung | sonner |
| run | ran | run | courir |
| say | said | said | dire |
| see | saw | seen | voir |
| sell | sold | sold | vendre |
| send | sent | sent | envoyer |
| shut | shut | shut | fermer |
| sing | sang | sung | chanter |
| sit | sat | sat | s'asseoir |
| sleep | slept | slept | dormir |
| speak | spoke | spoken | parler |
| spend | spent | spent | dépenser |
| stand | stood | stood | être debout |
| steal | stole | stolen | voler (dérober) |
| swim | swam | swum | nager |
| take | took | taken | prendre |
| teach | taught | taught | enseigner |
| tell | told | told | raconter |
| think | thought | thought | penser |
| throw | threw | thrown | lancer |
| understand | understood | understood | comprendre |
| wake | woke | woken | se réveiller |
| wear | wore | worn | porter (un vêtement) |
| win | won | won | gagner |
| write | wrote | written | écrire |