Past Form of Irregular Verbs
In this beginner’s tutorial, learners will be able to understand and create “Past Form of Irregular Verbs”. What is the form of “Past Form of Irregular Verbs”?. What are the three types of irregular verbs?. How irregular verbs formed in a sentence.
This activity is an integrated lesson where students read a story and form the past tense of irregular verb by changing their spelling.
I. Objectives: After this lesson the students will:
1. Form past tense of irregular verb
2. Distinguish three types of irregular verbs
3. Write sentences using irregular verbs
II. Subject Matter: Past form of Irregular Verb
Materials: 1. Copy of the story “The Hare and the Tortoise”
2. Worksheets of; Irregular Verbs, flashcards
3. Group Activity Sheets
III. Procedure/ Activities
A. Pre-Activity
1. Review: Past Form of regular verb written on a flashcards.
B. Lesson Proper
1. Unlocking of difficulties through context clues
Read the sentences. Then determine the meaning of the underlined word as used in the sentence.
a. The tortoise wins the race.
a. compete b. contest c. genes
b. The hare thinks that he is clever than the tortoise.
a. intelligent b. faster c. slow to understand
c. The hare decided to have a rest and he quickly fell asleep at the side of the road.
a. rat b. rooster c. rabbit
2. Reading of the motive question
Based on the title, what do you think is the content of the story?
3. Giving of standards for oral reading
4. Oral reading of the selection
“The Hare and the Tortoise”
5. Discussion
A. Comprehension Check:
What was the story about?
Who were the characters in the story?
What’s the clever plan of the tortoise?
How did the tortoise win the race?
Who said “How did he get ahead of me?”
- On the board write these sentences;
1. The hare knew that he could run faster than the tortoise.
2. Yes, I’ll race you, said the clever tortoise.
3. The race began.
4. Suddenly, the hare woke up!
5. The tortoise crossed the line and won the race.
C. Call the students attention to the underlined words in each sentence.
1. Ask the students “What tense are they?” Elicit students answer, “Past Tense”
2. Follow-up question, ‘What kind of verb are they?
Elicit students answer “Irregular Verb”
3. on the board write: “Irregular Verbs”
Explain that we distinguish three types of irregular verbs:
- Verbs in which all three forms are the same (i.e. cut-cut-cut)
- Verbs in which two of the three forms are the same (i.e. sit-sat-sat)
- Verbs in which all three forms are different A(i.e. ring-rang-rung)
D. Generalization:
1. How do we form the past form of irregular verb?
-We form the past tense of irregular verb by changing their spelling
2. How do you distinguish three types of irregular verbs?
We distinguish three types of irregular verbs when;
Verbs in which all three forms are the same (i.e. cut-cut-cut)
Verbs in which two of the three forms are the same (i.e. sit-sat-sat)
Verbs in which all three forms are different (i.e. ring-rang-rung)
3. When do we use them?
-We use them when the action is already done or done in the past.
E. Practice Exercise:
1. Group Activity
Recall standards of group activity
2. Reporting by groups
IV. Evaluation / Assessment
For each sentence below, fill in the correct form of the verb in the space provided.
broke, broken 1. When I ____________________ my leg, my friends scribbled cheerful
messages on the cast.
spended, spent 2. Nathan ____________________most of his teenage years dressed in black and alone in his bedroom.
catched, caught 3.The kindergarten teacher _______________chicken pox from one of her students.
went, gone 4. The sign on the barbershop door said, “Closed. I have ________________
fishing.”
wrote, writed 5. Before he was famous, the horror author Stephen King taught high-school
English and ______________short stories and novels at night.
done, did 6. When my little sister broke the living-room lamp, she told my parents that
I had ____________________ it.
bringed, brought 7. Seven people ____________________ potato salad to the church picnic and only one person made a dessert.
chose, choosed 8. Although she was close to winning $100,000, the game-show contestant lost it all when she _________________ the wrong answer to the final question.
V. Assignment
Write two irregular verbs in each form and use them in a sentence.
VI. Remediation/ Enrichment:
For slow learners you can review them by giving simple sentences to answer like the one below.
(grow) 1. Our flowers __________very well.
(give) 2. Last week it __________its first bloom.
(be) 3. My mother __________ was happy to see it.
(get) 4. She __________ some and (make) __________it into garland.
VII. Reinforcement
For fast learners you can give them a bit difficult exercises to figure out like the one below.
Directions: Now make your own sentences using irregular verbs in the perfect tense.
Example: I (have/has) ___________ (to know) Alex for six years.
I (have/has) known (to know) Alex for six years.
1) _____________________________________________________________________
2) _____________________________________________________________________
Copy of the Story:
The Hare and the Tortoise
One day the hare and the tortoise decided to have a race. The hare knew that he could run faster than the tortoise. But the tortoise was more intelligent than the hare. ‘Yes, I’ll race you,’ said the clever tortoise.
The tortoise had a clever plan. He found his brothers and sisters and he told them to wait in different places along the path of the race. So they all hid behind the trees along the path.
The race began! The tortoise ran as fast as possible. But the hare was faster, of course. ‘This will be a very easy race’, thought the hare. So the hare decided to have a rest, and he quickly fell asleep at the side of the road.
Suddenly, the hare woke up and he saw a tortoise ahead of him! How did he get ahead of me?’ the hare asked himself. In fact, it was not his friend the tortoise: it was the tortoise’s sister. But to a hare, all tortoises look the same.
The hare ran past the tortoise easily. Soon, he could see the tortoise, so he sat down and he had another rest. Then the hare got up and continued the race. But – as the hare happily came around the last corner before the finish line-his friend the tortoise crossed the line and won the race!
Comprehension Check:
What was the story about?
Who were the characters in the story?
What’s the clever plan of the tortoise?
How did the tortoise win the race?
Who said “How did he get ahead of me?”
Practice Exercises
Worksheet 1
Write the correct form of the verb in each blank below.
(go) 1. Yesterday I _________ to the movies
(make) 2. My sister __________ a birthday cake for me last week.
(ride) 3. Steve __________ his bicycle to school yesterday.
(drive) 4. My friends’ __________ to Los Angeles two weeks ago.
(take) 5. Elizabeth __________ some flowers to her mother last
Saturday.
break) 6. Kevin __________ his leg while he was playing football.
have) 7. Last week my aunt __________a baby.
(do) 8. When we cleaned the yard, we __________ a lot of work.
(drink) 9. The child __________ some milk last night.
buy) 10. My teacher _________ some new books last month.
Practice Exercises
Worksheet 2
Fill in the blanks. Do not use contractions!
Yesterday I__________ (do) not have much fun. I __________ (go) for a bike
ride around three in the afternoon. Some guy__________ (come) up behind me
and _________ (say), “I bet you twenty bucks I can beat you in a race.”
I __________ (say), “No way!” and we __________(take) off.
I never _________ (see) the old lady crossing the street. She __________ (have)
a cane and __________(be) really slow. When I __________ (hit) her we
both __________(go) flying. I __________ (fly) about ten feet and__________
(land) on my face.
The guy I was racing _________(know) I was hurt, but he _________(ask) me
for the twenty bucks anyway. I __________ (tell) him to go call an ambulance
but he kept saying, “I __________(win); I __________(win).” Finally,
I __________ (give) him the money and he __________(go)
and __________(make) the call.
Group Activity Sheets
Group1 Activity 1
Directions: Choose the correct form of the helping verb “to be”. Then write the correct form
of the verb in irregular past participle form.
Example: The water (am/are/is) __________ (to freeze).
The water (am/are/ is) frozen (to freeze).
1) Her arm (am/are/is) __________ (to break).
2) The old man (am/are/is) __________ (to drink).
3) Our house key (am/are/is) __________ (to hide) in the bushes.
4) The employees (am/are/is) __________ (to do) with work today.
5) The snake bite (am/are/is) __________ (to swell).
6) The eighth page of my book (am/are/is) __________ (to tear).
7) A picture (was/were) __________ (to draw) on the chalkboard.
8) My bicycle (was/were) __________ (to steal) yesterday.
9) The milk (am/are/is) all __________ (to go).
10) All my children (am/are/is) full __________ (to grow).
11) The secret will be __________ (to know) by tomorrow morning.
12) Once I get back from the hike, my boots will be well __________ (to wear).
Directions: Now make your own sentences using irregular verbs in the past participle form.
1) _____________________________________________________________________
2) _____________________________________________________________________
Group2 Activity 2
Each of the items below contains two errors in irregular verbs. Find the errors and cross them out. Then, in the spaces provided, write the correct forms of the verbs.
1. Once I seen a hawk dive from the top of a tall tree to capture a field mouse. The bird catched the tiny creature in its claws and flew back to its perch.
a. _____________
b. _____________
Use the past tense of the irregular verb see for the first correction needed.
2. Our neighbors have always gave their little children household chores. This month, their son sets the table, and their daughter does some dusting. Last month, they both done some weeding in the backyard.
a. _____________
b. _____________
Use the past participle of the irregular verb give for the first correction needed.
3. My aunt be a big fan of Elvis Presley. Every time she hears “Love Me Tender,” she becomes misty-eyed. Last year, she and my uncle gone on a trip to Graceland, Elvis’s home. While there, she bought “Elvis Lives” bumper stickers for herself and all her friends.
a. _____________
b. _____________
Use the past tense of the irregular verb go for the second correction needed.
4. It is dangerous to shake a baby. Many babies who have been shook have suffered brain injuries. The adults who done this seldom meant to cause such harm.
a. _____________
b. _____________
Use the past tense of the irregular verb do for the second correction needed.
5. I was determined not to forget anything I needed at the store. I sat down and writed a long shopping list. Feeling proud of myself, I went to the store. Then I realized I had forgotted the list.
a. _____________
b. _____________
Group3 Activity 3
Using Irregular Verbs in Simple Past Tense
1. For many verbs, the simple past tense does not end in –ed.
2. The simple past form of these verbs is irregular.
Note: The simple past form is the same for all persons:
Example: I saw the moon. You saw the moon. We saw the moon.
They saw the moon. He/she/it saw the moon.
Directions: Write the correct form of the irregular verb in simple past tense.
Example: He __________ (to drink) the coffee.
He drank (to drink) the coffee.
1) The moon __________ (to come) out late last night.
2) Jessica __________ (to lose) her first tooth this morning.
3) My entire family __________ (to catch) the flu last winter.
4) The employees __________ (to do) a lot of work today.
5) The swimmers __________ (to hold) their breath and jumped in the water.
6) The baker __________ (to make) a cake for my birthday.
7) They __________ (to take) a picture of the mountain.
8) The teacher __________ (to teach) the students chemistry last year.
9) I __________ (to wear) my jacket to work yesterday.
10) We __________ (to go) to the zoo last weekend.
10) Tom __________ (to write) his family a letter.
12) I __________ (to see) a movie last night.
Directions: Now make your own sentences using irregular verbs in simple past tense.
1) _____________________________________________________________________
2) _____________________________________________________________________
For more readings
- Quiet or quite / Confusing English words
- Expressing PREFERENCES: English Lesson
- Comparing Things with “AS” / English Grammar
- Comparative Adjectives – English Grammar Lesson
- Adjectives in English Grammar – Position in a Sentence
If you have any questions or suggestions about Past Form of Irregular Verbs, please feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message using our contact page.
