Instructions: Read, study, and learn this lesson.  Then do the exercise.  When you are satisfied that you understand the lesson, take the test.

Verbs have three principal parts: present, past, and past participle.

Other Examples:

Present         Past                Past Participle

talk                  talked           talked

begin              began            begun

Regular and Irregular Verbs

 Regular and irregular verbs are classified according to the way they form the past tense and past participle.  A verb’s base form, past tense form, and past participle are called its principal parts.

Regular Verbs: Most verbs are regular in form. The past tense form and the past participle of a regular verb are created by adding -ed to the base form, as in the three forms: happen, happened, happened.

Other Examples:

Present              Past             Past Participle

want                  wanted            wanted

save                    saved              saved

cover                  covered          covered

close                   closed             closed

Irregular Verbs change in other ways to form the past tense and past participle.

One kind of irregular verb changes in the past tense and then keeps that same form in the past participle:

 Examples:

Present           Past              Past Participle

feed                    fed               fed

sell                      sold             sold

win                     won             won

 • Another kind of irregular verb adds an -n or -en to the base form or to the past tense form to make the past participle:

Examples:

know              knew              known

speak              spoke           spoken

• Other verbs have irregular changes in spelling for each principal part:

Examples:

slay              slew             slain

see               saw              seen

• Still other verbs use the same form for all principal parts:

Examples:

cost              cost           cost

cut                cut            cut

hit                 hit             hit

set                 set             set

shut              shut          shut

• A large group of irregular verbs shows a change of vowel in both the past tense and past participle.

Examples:

begin              began              begun

swim               swam               swum

• Through usage, many verbs of this type are gradually changing into regular verbs with -ed endings.  For example, the verb .strive. has both forms.

Examples:

strive              strove              striven

strive              strived            strived

• A verb in the past tense never needs a helping verb, but the past participle always needs at least one.

He .saw. us. (Past)    We .had seen. him first. (Past Participle)

The present participle is sometimes included with the principal parts.  It is formed by adding -ing to the present.

Example: read, reading    

He .should have been reading. faster.

Exercise, Lesson 12

Instructions: Read, study, and memorize the key teaching points regarding this lesson.  When you can recall and discuss the information with understanding, take the test.

What to learn about principal parts of verbs:

1. Verbs have three principal parts: present form, past form, and past participle.

2. A verb’s base form, past tense form, and past participle are called its principal parts.

3. Most verbs are regular in form. The past tense form and the past participle of a regular verb are created by adding -ed to the base form; as in the forms happen, happened, happened.

4. Irregular Verbs change in other ways to form the past tense and past participle.

5. One kind of irregular verb changes in the past tense and then keeps that same form in the past participle.

6. Another kind of irregular verb adds an -n or -en to the base form or to the past tense form to make the past participle.

7. Other verbs have irregular changes in spelling for each principal part.

8. Still other verbs use the same form for all principal parts.

9. A large group of irregular verbs shows a change of vowel in both the past tense and past participle.

10. A verb in the past never needs a helping verb, but the past participle always needs at least one.

 11. The present participle is sometimes included with the principal parts.  It is formed by adding -ing to the present.

Example: read, reading
He .should have been reading. faster.

Lesson 12, Test

The Principal Parts of Verbs

Instructions: Write the sentences on a separate sheet of paper and answer all of the questions.

1. What are the three principal parts verbs have?

2. Write two sentences using the three principal parts.

3. How are regular and irregular verbs classified?

4. What form do most verbs have?

5. How are the past tense and past participle of a verb created?

6. Write three sentences using the present tense, past tense, and past participle.

7. When irregular verbs change, which forms do they take?

8. Explain what happens when the five types of irregular verbs change forms.

9. Write four sentences that show how the different kinds of irregular verbs change.  Use the following words: .sell., .spoke., .slay., and .swim.

10. What does a verb in the past participle always need?

11. Write two sentences using the present and past participle.

12. Write one sentence showing how the present participle is sometimes included in the principal parts.