This document discusses irregular verbs in English. It defines regular and irregular verbs, and provides examples of common irregular verbs like "to be", "to drink", and "to swim". It notes that the verb "to be" is one of the most irregular and protean verbs in English, taking different forms in various tenses. It also provides conjugation tables for the irregular verb "to be".

1. IRREGULAR
VERBS
Belinda Baardsen,
American Ex Pat,
TEFL Certified Instructor,
King Saud University,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2. WHAT IS A VERB?
verb
/vərb/
A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the
main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear,...

3. WHAT IS A VERB?
What is a Verb?
The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or
compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and
express actions, events, or states of being. The verb or compound verb is the
critical element of the predicate of a sentence.

4. DEFINING A REGULAR VERB
A regular verb, like "to
walk" looks like this:
•Present Simple: I walk to work every day.
•Present Progressive: I am walking to work today.
•Past Simple: I walked to work yesterday.
•Present Perfect: I've walked to work all week.

5. VERBS
Listen Listen-ed Listen-ing Listen-s
Live Liv-ed Liv-ing Live-s
Try Tr-ied Try-ing Tr-ies
Read Read Read-ing Read-s
Forget Forgot Forget-ing Forget-s
Pay Pa-ied Pay-ing Pay-s
Be Be- Be— Be—
Make Made Mak-ing Make-s
Lose Lost Los-ing Lose-s
Use Use-d Us-ing Use-s
apply Appl-ied Apply-ing Applie-s

6. WHAT IS AN IRREGULAR VERB?
Defining an Irregular Verb
Irregular verbs live by their own set of rules;
they are the mavericks of the English
language.
Most of the verbs in the English language are
irregular verbs.

7. WHAT IS AN IRREGULAR VERB?
•To Drink: I drink coffee every
morning. I drank six cups of
coffee yesterday. I have drunk 27
cups of coffee this week.
•To Swim: I swim in lake Eerie
every summer. I swam through
lots of garbage in July. I have
swum through toxic sludge a few
times.

8. WHAT IS AN IRREGULAR VERB?
The most common
English verbs, like "go"
or "have" or "be," are
all irregular and take a
bit of practice to
master.

9. WHAT IS AN IRREGULAR VERB?
Teachers, bosses, and
English majors cringe
when someone says
"I should have drank"
or "I should have
went."

10. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
The verb “To be” is said to be the most
protean of the English language, constantly
changing form, sometimes without much of
a discernible pattern.

11. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Considering that we
use it so often, it is
really too bad that the
verb “To be” has to be
the most
irregular, slippery verb
in the language.

12. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Present Tense
I am /We are
You are /You are
He/She/It is -
They are

13. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Past Tense
I was /We were
You were/ You were
He/She/It was -They
were

14. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Perfect Form
(past participle)
I have been, etc.

15. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Progressive Form
(present participle)
I am being, etc.

16. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
The verb be takes on different forms in the present and
past.
Present Contraction Past
I am 'm was
He is 's was
She is 's was
It is 's was
You are 're were
They are 're were
We are 're were

17. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
The verb be indicates existence, temporary
condition or permanent status.
It is really hot today.
Grady's not here right now.
Greg and Tim are engineers.

18. IRREGULAR VERB ~ “TO BE”
Arise Arose Arisen Arises
Arising
Awake Awoke Awoken
Awakes Awaking
Bear Bore Born/Borne
Bears Bearing