Most Common Irregular Verbs and How to Use Them

The English language has many irregular verbs, and though they're complicated to learn, they're actually more common than most regular verbs. While the 10 most used verbs in the English language are all irregular, irregular verbs are actually only 3% of all verbs in the English language.

What do you think are the most common verbs in English? Think about the verbs you use most often, either in English or in your native language. Here are the top 10 most used irregular verbs:

 

1. To be

Simple present: I am, you are, we are, he/she is, they are

Simple past: was, were

Past participle: had, have been

I am tired; You were late; I have been waiting for you.

 

irregular verbs
To be or not to be?

 

2. To have

Simple present: I have, you have, we have, he/she has, they have

Simple past: had

Past participle: had

I have a horse; I had a horse; I'd had a horse

 

3. To do

Simple present: I do, you do, we do, he/she does, they do

Simple past: did

Past participle: have/had done

Do your job; I did my job; You had done your job

 

4. To go

Simple present: I go, you go, we go, he/she goes, they go

Simple past: went

Past participle: have/had gone

I go to school; I went to school; I have gone to school

 

irregular verbs
I want to go on a trip

 

5. To say

Simple present: I say, you say, we say, he/she says, they say

Simple past: said

Past participle: have/had said

I say yes; I said yes; I had said yes

 

6. To see

Simple present: I see, you see, we see, he/she sees, they see

Simple past: saw

Past participle: have/had seen

I see it; I saw it; I have seen it

 

7. To take

Simple present: I take, you take, we take, he/she takes, they take

Simple past: took

Past participle: have/had taken

I take lessons; I took lessons; I have taken lessons

 

8. To get

Simple present: I get, you get, we get, he/she gets, they get

Simple past: got

Past participle: have/had gotten

I get confused; I got confused; I have gotten confused

 

irregular verbs
The dog gets its favorite toy

 

9. Can

Simple present: I can, you can, we can, he/she can, they can

Simple past: could

Past participle: have/had been able to

I can do it; I could do it; I have been able to do it

 

10. Will

Simple present: I will, you will, we will, he/she will, they will

Simple past: would

I will try; I would try (but)…

 

Test yourself 

Practice what you've learned with our quiz below. Let us know your score in the comments section below. If you're interested in studying abroad take a look at the English schools we offer worldwide. 

 

 

What other irregular verbs do you know in English? Are there any verbs that you have trouble understanding or using? Let us know in the comments!

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