Understanding Verb Forms

What are the principal parts of verbs?

Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Six confusing verbs
Sit/Set
Rise/Raise
Lie/Lay
Review A
Review B

What are the principal parts of verbs?

Verbs dress differently for different occasions.
She dressed for school.
She dresses casually.

She has dressed

for graduation.

What are the principal parts of verbs?

Verbs have four principal parts. Each principal part
has a different function.
Base Form
Present Participle
Past
Past Participle
More about participles

talk

draw

[is] talk ing

[is] draw ing

talk ed

dr e w

[have] talk ed

[have] draw n

What are the principal parts of verbs?

These principle parts are used to form all of the
different verb tenses.
Base Form

They talk every day.

Present Participle

They are talking now.

Past

They talked yesterday.

Past Participle

They have talked for hours.

Regular verbs
A regular verb generally forms its past and past
participle by adding d or ed to the base form.
Base Form

Past

Past Participle

clean

clean ed

[have] clean ed

hope

hope d

[have] hope d

The present participle is formed by adding ing.

Present Participle

clean ing

Regular verbs
Most regular verbs that end in e drop the e before
adding ing.
hop ing
hope

Some verbs double the final consonant before

adding ing or ed.
hugg
hug ing

hug ed
hugg

Regular verbs
On Your Own
Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present
participle) of the verb in italics, as indicated in parentheses.
1. The dancers are (perform) on stage. (present participle)
2. We (watch) a folk dance an hour ago. (past)
3. We are (learn) dances from different countries. (present
participle)
4. Someone in the audience has (request) an Irish square
dance. (past participle)
5. I had (hope) to take dance lessons. (past participle)
[End of Section]

Irregular verbs
Some verbs do not fit the regular
pattern.
An irregular verb forms its past
and past participle in some way
other than by adding d or ed.
Base Form

Past

Past Participle

drink

dr a nk

[have] dr u nk

hurt

hurt

[have] hurt

Irregular verbs
Changing vowels

1. Some irregular verbs form the past and past

participle by changing vowels.
Base Form
begin

Past

Past Participle

beg a n

[have] beg u n

Other Verbs that Change Vowels

find

found

[have] found

hold

held

[have] held

ring

rang

[have] rung

swim

swam

[have] swum

Irregular verbs

Changing consonants

2. Other irregular verbs form the past and past

participle by changing consonants.
Base Form

Past
ma d e

make

Past Participle
[have] ma d e

Other Verbs that Change Consonants

bend

bent

[have] bent

build

built

[have] built

lend

lent

[have] lent

spend

spent

[have] spent

Irregular verbs

Changing vowels and consonants

3. Some irregular verbs form the past and past

participle by changing both vowels and
consonants.
Base Form

Past

Past Participle

ride

r od e

[have] r idden

Other Verbs that Change Vowels and Consonants

buy

bought

[have] bought

see

saw

[have] seen

speak

spoke

[have] spoken

wear

wore

[have] worn

Irregular verbs
No change

4. A few irregular verbs make no change at all in

their past and past participle forms.
Base Form

Past

Past Participle

put

put

[have] put

Other Verbs that Make No Change

cost

cost

[have] cost

cut

cut

[have] cut

hit

hit

[have] hit

read

read

[have] read

Irregular verbs
On Your Own
Give the correct form (past or past participle) of each verb
given in parentheses.
1. Two graceful swans ________ across the lake. (swim)
2. Gabriela ________ me her softball glove. (lend)
3. Nate ________ a fleece jacket on the hike. (wear)
4. I have already ________ the wrapping paper. (cut)
5. Have you ________ your best on the science project?
(do)
[End of Section]

Six confusing verbs

Six verbs in English require special attention.
sit

set

rise

raise

lie

Are the children sitting or setting ?

Do the fans rise or

raise ?

Does the baby lie still or lay still?

lay

Six confusing verbs

To figure out which verb is correct, ask . . .
Does the verb
have a
direct object?

Don usually sits up front.

boxes down.
They set the boxes
down.

No object
Direct object

Sit / Set

The verb sit means to be seated

or to rest.
They sit on the sand.

The verb set means to put (something) in

a place. Set usually has a direct object.
Direct object

He
He will
will set
set the
the books
books down
down soon.
soon.

Sit / Set
Principal Parts of Sit and Set
Base
Form

Present
Participle

Past

Past
Participle

sit

[is] sitting

sat

[have] sat

set

[is] setting

set

[have] set

We
sit
sitting
the on
park
on
the
bench.
bench.
have
sat
the
bench
before.
We are
saton
there
all
day.
sets
set
the
thelantern
on
down.
the
has
sat
itlantern
down
already.
She is
setting
it down
now.table.

Sit / Set
On Your Own

Give the correct form of sit or set for each of the

following sentences.
1. I ______ on a broken chair at the party yesterday.
2. Last night Kim ______ her ring on the dresser.
3. At the game, Kevin was ______ next to Paolo.
4. I have ______ here for hours waiting for you.
5. Before she left, Josie had ______ a loaf of bread on
the counter.
[End of Section]

Rise / Raise
The verb rise means to go upward.
Slowly the balloons rise into the sky.

The verb raise means to lift (something)

up. Raise usually has a direct object.
Direct object

flag.
They raised the flag.

Rise / Raise
Principal Parts of Rise and Raise
Base
Form

Present
Participle

Past

Past
Participle

rise

[is] rising

rose

[have] risen

raise

[is] raising

raised

[have] raised

The sun is
has
rising
risen.
now.
rose
at
A.M.
rises
in 7:15
the
East.
Shawn has
is
raising
for
us.
raised
theblinds
blinds
often.
raises
the the
blinds
each
morning.
raised
yesterday.

Rise / Raise
On Your Own

Give the correct form of rise or raise for each of the

following sentences.
1. Please ______ the sign higher.
2. I hope the bread is ______.
3. Sparks ______ from the fire and scattered into the
night sky.
4. They ______ the couch while I looked under it.
5. Prices have ______ steadily for almost a year.
[End of Section]

Lie / Lay
The verb lie means to rest, to recline, or to be in
a place.
The pigs lie in the grass.

The verb lay means to place (something

somewhere). Lay usually takes a direct
object.
Direct object

The chef lays the food

food on
on the
the plate.
plate.

Lie / Lay
Principal Parts of Lie and Lay
Base
Form

Present
Participle

Past

Past
Participle

lie
lay
lay

[is] lying

lay
lay

[have] lain

[is] laying

laid

[have] laid

These verbs are easy to confuse because the past

form of lie is also lay.
Base form
of lay

Please lay the blanket on the bed.

Past form
of lie

After his walk, the dog lay on the grass.

Lie / Lay
Principal Parts of Lie and Lay
Base
Form

Present
Participle

Past

Past
Participle

lie

[is] lying

lay

[have] lain

lay

[is] laying

laid

[have] laid

The cat has

is
lay
lying
down
lainthe
there
there
anchair.
hour
still.
a long
ago.time.
lies
on
He has
laid
itthe
there
before.
lays
is
laid
laying
the
the cane
cane
cane
there
against
against
earlier.
the wall.
the wall.

Lie / Lay
On Your Own
Give the correct form of lie or lay for each of the following
sentences.

1. Then the clerk ______ the small package on the scale.

2. Those clothes will ______ on the floor until you pick
them up.
3. Who ______ this paintbrush on the bare floor?
4. That wet towel has been ______ here all day long.
5. After his playtime, the puppy ______ down and slept.
[End of Section]

Review A
Give the correct form (past, past participle, or present
participle) of each italicized verb, as indicated in
parentheses.
1. After lunch we (wash) the car and mowed the lawn. (past)
2. Marcos has (look) everywhere for his boots. (past
participle)
3. My aunt is (bring) the salad. (present participle)
4. I (know) the answer, but I ran out of time. (past)
5. Most of the leaves have already (fall) from the trees.
(past
participle)

Review B
For each sentence, choose the correct verb form in
parentheses.
1. Geraldo (rose, raised) the branch so I could get by.
2. I had (lain, laid) my hat on the back of the chair.
3. Everyone (sat, set) quietly during the recital.
4. The children were (sitting, setting) in their seats waiting
for the show to start.
5. The foam has (risen, raised) to the top of the drink.
6. The baby is (lying, laying) in his crib.

The End