Irregular Verb Forms — SAT Reading & Writing Explained
Most English verbs form their past tense by adding '-ed,' but irregular verbs have unique past tense and past participle forms that must be memorized.
The Core Idea
Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern. Errors typically come from applying regular rules to irregular verbs ('runned' instead of 'ran') or confusing the simple past with the past participle ('he seen it' instead of 'he saw it').
Common Irregular Verbs
Base / Past / Past Participle
- go / went / gone
- see / saw / seen
- run / ran / run
- take / took / taken
- write / wrote / written
- begin / began / begun
- break / broke / broken
- choose / chose / chosen
- drive / drove / driven
- lie (recline) / lay / lain vs. lay (place) / laid / laid
Common Errors to Avoid
Using the past participle without a helper ('he seen the movie' → 'he saw / has seen')
Using the past tense as a past participle ('I have went' → 'I have gone')
Confusing lay/lie — one of the most common errors in English
How This Connects to Other Topics
Works with Verb Tense Consistency; part of the grammar foundation
Practice: Irregular Verb Forms
5 SAT-style questions. Select your answer and get an instant explanation.
Yesterday, she _____ the ball over the fence.
Which choice completes the sentence so that it conforms to Standard English?
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