50 advanced irregular verbs in English
These verbs are considered C1-C2 vocabulary.
Table of irregular verbs with their base form, past simple form and past participle:
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Notes | |
| 1 | arise | arose | arisen | |
| 2 | bear | bore | borne | |
| 3 | bid | bid/bade | bid/bidden | When the meaning is “offer a price”, the past forms are both “bid”. When the meaning is “command, invite or greet”, the past simple forms are “bid” and “bade”, and the past participles are “bid” and “bidden” (although “bidden” is quite old-fashioned). |
| 4 | bind | bound | bound | |
| 5 | breed | bred | bred | |
| 6 | burst | burst | burst | |
| 7 | cast | cast | cast | |
| 8 | cling | clung | clung | |
| 9 | creep | crept | crept | |
| 10 | dive | dived/dove | dived | In American English, “dove” (/doʊv) is also a past simple form of “dive”. |
| 11 | dwell | dwelt/dwelled | dwelt/dwelled | “Dwelt” is mainly used in British English and “dwelled” is mainly used in American English. |
| 12 | flee | fled | fled | |
| 13 | fling | flung | flung | |
| 14 | forbid | forbade | forbidden | |
| 15 | forsake | forsook | forsaken | |
| 16 | grind | ground | ground | |
| 17 | kneel | knelt | knelt | |
| 18 | knit | knitted/knit | knitted/knit | “Knitted” is more common in modern English, but “knit” is also used. |
| 19 | lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned | “Leant” (/lent/) is mainly used in British English and “leaned” is mainly used in American English. |
| 20 | leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped | “Leapt” (/lept/) is mainly used in British English and “leaped” is mainly used in American English. |
| 21 | light | lit/lighted | lit/lighted | “Lit” is more common in modern English. “Lighted” is often used in formal or literary contexts. |
| 22 | mow | mowed | mowed/mown | Both “mowed” and “mown” are accepted past participles. |
| 23 | plead | pleaded/pled | pleaded/pled | “Pleaded” is the most common form for both past forms, but “pled” is also used in American English. |
| 24 | prove | proved | proved/proven | “Proved” is the main past participle, but “proven” is also common, especially in American English. |
| 25 | seek | sought | sought | |
| 26 | sew | sewed | sewed/sewn | Both “sewed” and “sewn” are accepted past participles. |
| 27 | shrink | shrank/shrunk | shrunk | “Shrunk” is also used as a past simple form in American English. |
| 28 | sink | sank | sunk | |
| 29 | slay | slew/slayed | slain/slayed | When the meaning is “kill”, the past forms are “slew” and “slain”. When the meaning is “perform well”, the past forms are both “slayed”. |
| 30 | slink | slunk | slunk | |
| 31 | slide | slid | slid | |
| 32 | sow | sowed | sown/sowed | “Sown” is the more common past participle, but “sowed” is also used. |
| 33 | split | split | split | |
| 34 | spread | spread | spread | |
| 35 | spin | spun | spun | |
| 36 | spring | sprang/sprung | sprung | “Sprung” is also used as a past simple form in American English. |
| 37 | stave | staved/stove | staved/stove | “Stove” is used in literary contexts. |
| 38 | sting | stung | stung | |
| 39 | stink | stank | stunk | |
| 40 | strike | struck | struck/stricken | “Struck” is the more common past participle in modern English. “Stricken” is often used in formal or literary contexts. |
| 41 | stride | strode | stridden | |
| 42 | swear | swore | sworn | |
| 43 | sweep | swept | swept | |
| 44 | swell | swelled | swollen/swelled | “Swollen” is the more common past participle, but “swelled” is also used informally. |
| 45 | swing | swung | swung | |
| 46 | tread | trod | trodden/trod | “Trodden” is the more common past participle, but “trod” is also used in modern English. |
| 47 | weave | wove/weaved | woven/weaved | “Wove” and “woven” are used for fabric and “weaved” is used for the movement. |
| 48 | weep | wept | wept | |
| 49 | wind | wound/winded | wound/winded | When the meaning is “twist or turn”, the past forms are both “wound”. When the meaning is “make someone have difficulty breathing”, the past forms are both “winded”. |
| 50 | wring | wrung | wrung |
50 Irregular Verbs →
100 Irregular Verbs →
Past Simple – Use →
Past Simple – Structure →
Present Perfect – Use →
Present Perfect – Structure →
Kahoot Quiz – Past Simple – Irregular Verbs (1)
Kahoot Quiz – Past Simple – Irregular Verbs (2)
Kahoot Quiz – Present Perfect
Kahoot Quiz – Present Perfect or Past Simple
Present Perfect Exercises
- Present Perfect – Positive
- Present Perfect – Negative
- Present Perfect – Questions
- Present Perfect – Mixed
- Present Perfect or Past Simple?
