How to Learn Irregular Verbs in English

An irregular verb is one which does not follow the rules of the other verbs. A person learning English might think that, based on what they know, the word "speak" moving from present to past tense should be "speaked". This is an example of an irregular verb as the past tense is actually "spoke." Many children and immigrant students have a tough time learning such irregular verbs. They need to be memorized and there are numerous ways to do so.

Things You'll Need

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Instructions

    • 1

      Post a list of irregular verbs on your bathroom wall and read them every morning. You can also jot them down on small index cards and carry them around with you to read when you have idle time. Such lists can be found in the dictionary as well as online.

    • 2

      Purchase a dictionary of irregular verbs which uses them in real context. Many people find it easier to memorize and understand irregular verbs as they can see them used in real life situations.

    • 3

      Play a game which focuses on irregular verbs while being supervised by a native speaker who can correct the mistakes. Having fun is one way to learn new concepts without becoming overwhelmed. For example, in "verb tennis" one the participants can write down the irregular verbs and their past tense on note cards. They tell their opponent the verb and have them say the correct past tense. The opponent does the same. Whoever gives the most number of correct responses wins, and if additional people are playing, moves onto the next opponent.

    • 4

      Take a formally designed English course to learn the use and types of irregular verbs. You might also find such courses for free online if you are able to self study. There are basic English courses available at your local college can help you learn this concept, while many also allow for these courses to be taken online. An equivalent is the free "verb tense tutorial" which features a series of exercises online that allow the students to use these in context. The tutorial allows you to break up the study time into many days. This is presented in a way similar to what a regular English lesson on this topic would look like.

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