TCC Writing Center: Verb Forms and Principal Parts

Writing Center

Verb Forms and Principal Parts

All English verbs have four principal parts, which are the major forms (spellings) of the

verbs according to their functions in sentences. To fully understand verbs, you should

learn the meanings of these terms.

Present Tense or Base Form

Also called plain or root form, this is the simplest form of the verb, the form listed in

dictionaries and on verb charts.

• Use with present tense verbs: I walk, you sing, he works, they eat

• Use with infinitives, using to as the infinitive marker: to walk, to sing, to eat.

Infinitives are not used as verbs within sentences; instead, they function as nouns,

adjectives and adverbs.

• Use with modal auxiliaries: can walk, must sing, did work, should eat

• Use to form the future tense: will walk, will sing, will work, will eat

Past Tense or Simple Past Form

The past verb form is used to show past time and is the past tense form

• With regular verbs, add –d or –ed to the base form of the verb: walked, worked

• W

ith irregular verbs, use the spelling listed as past tense form on the accompanying

chart: sang, ate, etc.

Past Participle Form

This verb form is used with certain auxiliary verbs (also known as helping verbs) to form

the perfect tenses, the passive voice and to create verbals.

• With regular verbs, the past participle is exactly the same as the simple past tense

form: walked, worked, arrived

• W

ith irregular verbs, the past participle has a special spelling: sung, eaten

• Use the past participle to form the perfect tenses (he has arrived), the passive voice

(the food is eaten), and as a verbal adjective (the broken glass)

Present Participle Form

This form adds –ing to the base of a verb.

• Use to create the continuous

or progressive form: she is walking, we are eating

• Use to create verbal adjectives: The sleeping dog, the camping trip

• Use to create verbal nouns, which are called gerunds: Jogging is popular. We enjoy

camping.

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Irregular Verbs

The first column is the present tense form, the second column is the past tense form, and

the third column is the past participle form.

arise arose arisen go went gone sing sang sung

awake awoke awaken grind ground ground sink sank sunk

bear bore born grow grew grown sit sat sat

beat beat beaten hang hung hung sleep slept slept

become became become have had had slide slid slid

begin began begun hear heard heard slit slit slit

bend bent bent hide hid hidden speak spoke spoken

bet bet bet hit hit hit speed sped sped

bind bound bound hold held held spend spent spent

bite bit bitten hurt hurt hurt spin spun spun

bleed bled bled keep kept kept split split split

blow blew blown know knew known spread spread spread

bring brought brought lay laid laid spring sprang sprung

build built built lead led led stand stood stood

burst burst burst leave left left steal stole stolen

cast cast cast lend lent lent stick stuck stuck

catch caught caught let let let sting stung stung

choose chose chosen lie lay lain strike struck struck

cling clung clung light lit lit string strung strung

come came come lose lost lost swear swore sworn

cost cost cost make made made sweep swept swept

creep crept crept mean meant meant swim swam swum

cut cut cut meet met met swing swung swung

dare dared dared owe owed owed take took taken

deal dealt dealt pay paid paid teach taught taught

dig dug dug quit quit quit tear tore torn

do did done read read read tell told told

draw drew drawn ride rode ridden think thought thought

drink drank drunk ring rang rung wear wore worn

drive drove driven rise rose risen wake woke woke

eat ate eaten run ran run weave wove woven

fall fell fell see saw seen wed wed wed

feed fed fed shave shaved shaved weep wept wept

feel felt felt shine shone shone wet wet wet

fight fought fought shoot shot shot win won won

find found found show showed shown wind wound wound

fling flung flung shrink shrank shrunk wring wrung wrung

fly flew flown shut shut shut write wrote written

forgive forgave forgiven freeze froze frozen give gave given

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