Past simple: irregular verbs

English has two kinds of verbs in the past simple. Regular verbs simply add -ed (work → worked). Irregular verbs don't follow that rule — their past form is a different word that you have to learn: go → went, see → saw, have → had.

The challenge is that there's no single rule, so you learn irregular verbs one by one. The good news is that many of the most common English verbs are irregular, so you'll see them often and remember them quickly — and a few patterns make them easier than they look.

What makes a verb irregular?

A regular verb builds its past with -ed. An irregular verb changes in its own way — sometimes a little, sometimes a lot:

• go → went — I went home.
• see → saw — We saw a film.
• have → had — She had a great time.
• buy → bought — They bought a car.

There's no -ed, and no single rule that covers all irregular verbs — but, just like regular verbs, the past form is the same for every subject.

• I went. · She went. · They went.

One exception — be. The verb to be has two past forms, was and were, depending on the subject (I was, you were). It's so common that it has its own lesson: see Past simple: was / were.

Patterns that make them easier

You don't have to learn them as one long random list. Many irregular verbs fall into small groups:

No change — the past looks the same as the base:

• cut → cut, put → put, let → let, hit → hit, cost → cost

A vowel changes — often i → a or e/i → o:

• begin → began, drink → drank, sing → sang, swim → swam
• get → got, forget → forgot

The "-ought / -aught" group — these all end in the same sound:

• buy → bought, bring → brought, think → thought, fight → fought
• teach → taught, catch → caught

Completely different — just learn these:

• go → went, do → did, have → had, be → was / were

Watch out: read → read keeps the same spelling, but the past is pronounced like red (/rɛd/).

The most common irregular verbs

These come up all the time, so learning them first gives you the biggest payoff:

Negatives and questions: the easy part

Here's a relief: in negatives and questions you don't use the irregular past form at all. Exactly like regular verbs, you use did / didn't + the base verb:

• Positive: I went to work.
• Negative: I didn't go to work. (not didn't went)
• Question: Did you go to work? — Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

So for most irregular verbs, you only need the irregular form (went, saw, had …) in positive statements — did and didn't always take the base form. (Be is the exception: it doesn't use did at all — see its own lesson.)

When do we use it?

Exactly like the regular past simple: for finished actions and states at a definite time in the past.

• I saw them yesterday.
• We had dinner and then went out.
• She knew the answer. (a finished state)

Common mistakes

• ❌ He goed home. → ✅ He went home. (go is irregular — no -ed)
• ❌ She buyed a ticket. → ✅ She bought a ticket.
• ❌ I didn't went. → ✅ I didn't go. (after didn't, use the base form)
• ❌ Did you saw it? → ✅ Did you see it? (after did, use the base form)

Quick check

Put the verb in the past simple:

1. We ____ (go) to the beach last Sunday.
2. I ____ (not / see) the email.
3. ____ you ____ (have) a good time?
4. They ____ (buy) a new house.

Key takeaways

• Irregular verbs don't add -ed — the past is a separate form you learn (go → went, see → saw).
• The past form is the same for every subject, just like regular verbs.
• Grouping by pattern (no change / vowel change / -ought–-aught) makes them easier to remember.
• Negatives and questions use did / didn't + base verb — you only need the irregular form in positive sentences (the exception is be).