Irregular verbs in English clean. Past tense in English

English language learners encounter this grammatical topic fairly quickly. You need to tell, for example, what you did yesterday. How to do it? Obviously, use a special form of the verb, different from the one used in the present tense. To do this correctly, you need to know the general principle by which the past tense is formed in English. This is what this article is about.

When is the best time to start studying?

First of all, it is necessary to clarify that you should approach the study of the past form of a verb only after you have completely mastered how to form the present tense. Especially in sentences where pronouns are the subject he, she, it(or their corresponding nouns). If you still do not feel confident with the present tense, then it is better to postpone a detailed acquaintance with the past. Otherwise, you risk getting confused. Especially in light of the fact that it is necessary to study not only affirmative, but also interrogative and negative sentences.

Let's start by understanding the two main principles by which English verbs change in the past tense. This is the basis of this topic in grammar.

Regular and irregular verbs

The first group is the most numerous, but the method of formation here is the simplest. In the second group, everything is somewhat more complicated, which is why verb forms have to be learned by heart. But the plus is that there are not so many of them. And there are even fewer of those that are constantly used in speech. But first things first.

Let's start with regular verbs. They are named so because they form the past tense according to a single pattern (rule). In English this is done by adding the suffix -ed. For example:

• look - looked - looked;
• answer - answered - answered.

In these chains you see the initial form of the verb, then the simple past tense (in English Past Simple) and the past participle (Past Participle).

If the stem of the verb ends with a consonant and a vowel - y, then in the past form it changes to - i, as in these examples:

• cry - cried - cried;
• study - studied - studied.

If before -y there is one more vowel, then no change occurs:

• destroy - destroyed - destroyed.

With the second group of verbs (irregular) the situation is somewhat more complicated. They have no fixed ways of forming past forms. In addition, irregular verbs often have different forms of the past tense and the corresponding participle, for example:

• write - wrote - written.

In some cases, two forms or even all three may coincide:

• send - sent - sent;
• put - put - put.

Since such verbs do not follow a single rule for the formation of past forms, they are simply remembered like a poem.

Past forms for be, have, can

These verbs are used not only as semantic ones, but also as auxiliary and modal ones (that is, they convey a certain grammatical meaning), so they need to be highlighted separately.

Past tense in English: a brief description

Surely you already know that there are a total of 12 tenses in this language. It turns out that there are 4 of them that have passed. Let’s figure out why each one is needed.

Past Simple is used when:

1. The action took place at a certain, known moment in the past (or there was a constant sign of the object):

   We lived there in 1998.
   He was a doctor.

2. The action was repeated regularly in the past:

   I went fishing every summer.

3. Several actions were performed in the past one after another:

   She came home, had lunch, washed the dishes and went shopping.

Past Continuous is used when:

1. The action took place at the indicated moment in the past:

   Last night I was watching TV at home.

2. The action lasted for a designated period of time in the past:

   They were playing football from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Past Perfect is used when:

1. An action occurred before a certain moment in the past (or before another past action):

   She had cooked dinner before I came back.

Past Perfect Continuous is used when:

1. The action lasted and ended in the past; Often this is the result:

   He was tired because he had been working all night.

Declarative, interrogative and negative sentences

Let's look at the basic principles in the form of a diagram. You can form different types of sentences, which will be united by one similarity - the past tense. The English language offers fairly similar basics, which are not difficult to remember.

In the diagrams below, V means verb (verb), and the numbers 2 or 3 in the lower corner are the second or third form in the table of irregular verbs.

Easier than it seems - that’s what can be said about such a phenomenon as the past tense in English. The more you practice (do exercises, listen to texts, read, answer questions, participate in dialogues), the better you will do. Not all of the past tenses are used in everyday speech. But you need to know them all in order to understand the books you read, newspapers, etc., complex sources of information. Indeed, in a sentence in English, the type of tense used helps to better understand the idea expressed by the author.

The past tense in English is divided into 4 parts:

Past Simple, Past Perfect, Past Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

The Past Simple and Past Perfect are most often used in spoken and written English. The Past Continuous is used less frequently, and the Past Perfect Continuous is used very rarely, even among native speakers.

Past Simple

(simple past tense) is the second most difficult among English tenses after Present simple (simple present tense). The simple past tense is easily formed in English and is mainly used with verbs that describe a completed action in the past.

Examples of sentences in the simple past tense:

I heard the word she said“I heard the word she said.” Last night I played my guitar loudly and the neighbors couldn’t pass by– Last night I played my guitar loudly and my neighbors couldn’t pass by. You didn't fill out the form– You didn’t fill out the form. I learned a new verb yesterday– Yesterday I learned a new verb. Angela bought a baking dish– Angela bought a baking dish. I managed to pass the test– I managed to pass the test. I didn't want to go to the dentist– I didn’t want to go to the dentist. She didn't have enough time“She didn’t have enough time.” You didn't pass the test-You didn't pass the test. He didn't come to my party- He didn't come to my party. Did they arrive on time?– Did they arrive on time? Did she like the surprise?– Did she like surprises? I got myself in shape– I got myself into shape. This verb was difficult to me– This verb was difficult for me. What did you do yesterday?- What did you do yesterday? She couldn't go to the house“She couldn’t get to the house.”

English verbs in tense

Past Perfect

(past perfect) also describe an event in the past and differ from verbs in the simple past tense in that the action in the past perfect ended before another action, also in the past. The sequence of these actions is conveyed not by the sequence of verbs in a sentence, but by the use of different tense forms. This tense is also often used in English in conditional sentences.

Examples of sentences in the past perfect tense:

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Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples

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I had finished my English lesson, when she opened the door I had finished my English lesson when she opened the door. It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn’t arrive“It snowed at night, so the bus didn’t come.” The film had started before we went into the hall– The film started before we entered the hall. If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you– If I had known that you were sick, I would have visited you. She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder“She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder for it.” I wish I hadn’t gone to bed so late!“I wish I didn’t have to go to bed so early!” When I entered the room yesterday, my father had already cooked dinner– When I went into the room yesterday, my father had already prepared dinner. I didn’t want to go to the movies with my friends because I had seen the film already– I didn’t want to go to the cinema with my friends because I had already seen this film before. My friend offered me an apple in class yesterday, but I wasn’t hungry because I had just eaten lunch– My friend offered me an apple in class yesterday, but I wasn’t hungry because I had just had lunch by that time. As soon as she had done her homework, she went to bed As soon as she finished her homework, she went to bed. I was very tired as I hadn’t slept well for several days– I was very tired because I hadn’t gotten enough sleep for several days. Had you seen the film before?– Have you seen this film before? Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack“Before I came here, I talked to Jack. If I had seen him, I would have talked to him– If I saw him, I would talk to him. James had cooked breakfast when we got up James prepared breakfast when we woke up.

Verbs in the form

Past Continuous

(past continuous tense) in English describe actions or events that began in the past and lasted for some time in the past before being interrupted. This tense is also often used to denote actions that occurred constantly or periodically in the past.

Examples of sentences in the past continuous tense:

He was always trying to go to the basement“He kept trying to get into the basement. She was constantly singing– She sang constantly. While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes— When she was preparing dinner, he washed the dishes. I was having breakfast, when she asked me how to get to the store“I was having breakfast when she asked me how to get to the store.” They were learning English verbs when she walked into the room– They were learning English verbs when she entered the room. I was not expecting such a foolish behavior from him“I didn’t expect such stupid behavior from him.” The snake was not running towards you– The snake did not crawl towards you. The kids were not playing with the toys– The children did not play with toys. Were they going to their college?– Did they go to their college? While Kenneth was cleaning the living room, Sam was learning new verbs– While Kenneth was cleaning the room, Sam was learning new verbs. Was she walking in the street?– Was she walking down the street? What were you doing at 10pm last night?– What were you doing yesterday at ten o’clock in the evening? What were you doing when he arrived?-What were you doing when they came? She was cooking when I telephoned her“She was cooking when I called her.” We were having dinner when it started to rain— We were having dinner when it started to rain. Pam went home early because it was snowing Pam came home early because it was snowing. I was learning English verbs when he came– I was learning English verbs when he came.

English time

Past Perfect Continuous

(past perfect continuous tense) is in many ways similar to the Past continuous - in both forms the verbs describe an action that began, continued and ended in the past. The difference between tenses is that the past perfect continuous focuses not on the action itself, but on its duration.

Compare two sentences:

I was working when he came“I was working when he came.” I had been working for 3 hours when he came“I had already been working for three hours when he came.”

In the first case, the speaker was working at the moment when someone arrived. And in the second case, the emphasis is on the duration of the action, that is, on the fact that by that time it had been working for some time.

More examples of sentences in the past perfect continuous tense:

Had you been waiting long before they gave you the form?– Did you wait long before they gave you the uniform? We had been trying to open the door for five minutes when Jane found her key“We tried to open the door for five minutes before Jane found the key.” It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets were very wet– It rained heavily for several hours and the streets were very wet. Her friends had been thinking of calling the police when she walked in“Her friends were thinking of calling the police when she came in.” John was very tired. He had been running– John was very tired. He was running. I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking– I smelled cigarettes. Someone was smoking. Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been running well for a long time— Unexpectedly, my car broke down. I wasn't surprised. She hasn't been driving well lately. Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?– Was the pilot drinking before the accident? They had not been filling out this form since 2003“They haven’t filled out this form since 2003.” Kid had not been drinking milk for five months– The child has not drunk milk for five months. You had not been reading this book for ten months– You haven’t read this book for ten months. Had she been waiting for her husband for one year?– She waited for her husband for a whole year? Had he been eating vegetable for seven months?– He ate vegetables for seven months? Had you been wearing your sports uniform for two years?– Have you worn your sports uniform for two years?

Video about past tense in English:

Find out how well you know the past tense in English!

Indicating the time of a certain action in the past.

Collectively, past tense forms in English are usually united by the concept of Past Tenses. This article will look at three main times, which differ in duration and quality. So, there are the indefinite past or Simple), continuous (Past Continuous) and perfect (Past Perfect) tenses.

Past formSimple

The Past Simple form is the most common and frequently used past tense in the English language. This is the primary tense for expressing any action that happened some time ago. Very often it competes with the present perfect tense (Present Perfect), which, despite belonging to the present verbs, is in the past tense. We must not forget that the perfect present tense is only suitable when a past action affects the present. If the events are not related to the present, you should use the Past Simple.

This time is formed very simply. If the verb is correct, you should simply add the ending -ed to it; if it is incorrect, the required form is in the standard table:

We played the piano three days ago; I forgot my hat at home.

To form a question, use the auxiliary verb did:

Did you play the piano yesterday?

For negation, this auxiliary verb is also used, but with the negation particle not:

She didn't watch TV.

Thus, the Past Simple should be used if the action happened in the past and has no relation to the present. Words that foreshadow the use of this tense form of the verb are yesterday (yesterday), 8 years ago (8 years ago), in 1989 (in 1989) and so on.

Past Continuous form

Past Continuous is a tense that denotes a long action in the past. In other words, it is used when talking about a specific moment, about an action in a process. For example, She was playing the guitar yesterday at 10 p.m. The example shows that the Past Continuous is formed using an additional verb to be in the past tense and a verb ending in -ing. If the sentence is interrogative, it should be moved to the beginning; if it is negative, not should be added to it:

Were you playing the piano yesterday at 10 p.m.? No, I wasn’t doing this at that time.

In addition, this past tense in English is used to denote an action that once occurred at a specific moment and was interrupted by another simultaneous action. For example, We were looking through the magazine when he called.

Past Perfect tenses andPast Perfect Continuous

These tenses are called the perfect and perfect continuous past tenses, respectively. To form them, you need to have a good knowledge of verb forms. The past tense in English is based entirely on this knowledge. So, for the Past Perfect you need an additional one in the form had and the second participle of the main verb. The latter can be found in the table of irregular verbs or formed by adding the familiar ending -ed.

It should be remembered that the simple perfect tense is used to express an action that has already completed before a specific moment. In turn, Past Perfect Continuous is used in situations where a certain action began before a certain moment in the past and lasted for some time. The Past Perfect Continuous is formed using the form had been, to which the main verb ending in -ing is added.

In general, the past tense in English is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is very important to understand everything and practice various exercises that will best demonstrate the above rules in practice.

Here you can find a table of irregular English verbs with translation into Russian and transcription, videos on learning and memorizing irregular verbs, links.

There is a special category of verbs in the English language that does not follow generally accepted rules when forming the past participle. They are usually called “wrong”. Unlike “regular” verbs, which are appended with the ending –ed to form the past participle, these verbs either remain unchanged or take unusual forms that are not always easy to remember. For example:

put – put – put;
drive – drove – driven.

If the first verb is easy to learn and use in sentences, then the second one has to be learned directly by memorization.

Where did such difficulties with some verbs come from? Scientists have concluded that these are some kind of “fossils” remaining in the language from ancient times. During its development, the English language adopted a large number of words from other European languages, but some words remained unchanged. It is this category that irregular verbs belong to.

Table of irregular English verbs:

Video on learning and memorizing irregular English verbs:

Top 100 irregular verbs in English.

In this video, the author analyzes the most popular irregular verbs in the English language (top 100, compiled by himself). Examples are given for all irregular verbs, voiceovers, etc. The most commonly used irregular verbs come first, then the least used.

Pronunciation of irregular English verbs.

British version of English irregular verbs. The author gives you the opportunity to repeat after him and thus hone the correct pronunciation of irregular verbs.

Learning irregular English verbs using rap.

An interesting video for learning English irregular verbs superimposed on rap.

Examples of using irregular verbs:

Verbs in the past tense in English have 4 forms. They are used in relation to actions that differ in dynamics and moment of commission.

Description of past tense forms

Native English speakers distinguish past actions by duration, completion, and other characteristics. To talk about what happened or has happened up to now they use:

• Past Simple (Simple Past Tense) – reports regular or one-time actions. The key words are: yesterday (yesterday), last week (last week), a year ago (a year ago). The rule for forming the Past Simple involves adding the ending -ed to the stem of the verb, that is, the second form: play-played (play), watch-watched (watch, observe), stop-stopped (stop). Negative and interrogative sentences require the auxiliary verb did. In this case, the semantic one is put back into its original form.

I didn't watch this match. – I didn’t watch this match.

Did you watch this match? – Did you watch this match?

In all tenses of the Past group, verbs are divided into regular and irregular. The latter form 2 forms, changing in various ways. They are considered exceptions that need to be remembered: see-saw (see), put-put (put), find-found (find).

• Past Continuous – describes a process that occurred at a certain time in the past. To form this form, the 2nd form of the verb to be – was/were and a semantic verb with the ending -ing are required.

I was doing exercises at 7 a.m. – I did exercises at 7 am.

A moment in the past can be indicated not only by exact time, but also by another single action.

She was listening to the radio when she saw a cat in the street. – She was listening to the radio when she saw a cat on the street. (was listeting – process, saw – one-time action)

• Past Perfect (Past Complete) – expresses an action that has ended at the time of speaking, when the result is important. This tense is formed from 2 components: the 2nd form of the verb to have – had and the past participle of the semantic verb.

I had passed my exams by the 1st of June. – I passed my exams by June 1st.

• Past Perfect Continuous (Simple Complete Long Tense) - a description of a continuous action that began before another event in the past and was still happening at the time of speaking. To form this form, 3 components are required: had + been + semantic verb ending -ing.

Jane had been knitting for an hour when I called her. Jane had been knitting for an hour when I called her.

Table of past tense verbs in English

To better understand the mechanism of formation of sentences with different purposes in the past tense, you can look at the diagram with examples.