Past Simple: Regular and Irregular Verbs

This page introduces the formation of the Past Simple for both regular and irregular verbs in English.

For regular verbs, the Past Simple is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. This rule applies to all persons (I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they).

Example: TALK → TALKED (I talked, you talked, he/she/it talked, etc.)

There are some spelling variations for regular verbs:

• Verbs ending in -e: add only -d (LIKE → LIKED, LOVE → LOVED)
• Monosyllabic verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: double the final consonant (STOP → STOPPED)
• Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed (STUDY → STUDIED)
• Two-syllable verbs ending in a consonant: may double the final consonant (TRAVEL → TRAVELLED, QUARREL → QUARRELLED)

Highlight: The Past Simple form remains the same for all persons in affirmative sentences.

For irregular verbs, the Past Simple form does not follow a specific pattern and must be memorized.

Example:

• DRINK → DRANK
• COME → CAME
• DO → DID
• MAKE → MADE

Vocabulary: Base form - The infinitive form of the verb without 'to'