Irregular Verbs Past Simple Exercises

Understanding Irregular Verbs in Past Simple

Mastering irregular verbs in the past simple tense is essential for English language proficiency. Unlike regular verbs that simply add -ed to form their past tense, irregular verbs change their form entirely, making them challenging to learn and remember.

These exercises are designed to help you practice and memorize the most common irregular verbs in the English language. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refresh your knowledge, these activities will strengthen your grammar skills and boost your confidence in using past simple tense correctly.

Essential Irregular Verbs for Beginners

Before diving into exercises, let’s review some of the most frequently used irregular verbs in English:

Past Simple Irregular Verbs Exercise 1

This first exercise focuses on the most common irregular verbs. Fill in the blanks with the correct past simple form of the verbs in brackets.

1. Last night, I _____ (go) to a restaurant with my friends.
2. She _____ (buy) a new car last month.
3. We _____ (have) a great time at the party.
4. He _____ (take) his dog for a walk yesterday.
5. They _____ (come) to visit us last weekend.
6. I _____ (eat) too much chocolate and felt sick.
7. She _____ (write) a letter to her grandmother.
8. The children _____ (sleep) for ten hours last night.
9. He _____ (speak) to his teacher about the project.
10. We _____ (see) a fantastic movie at the cinema.

Answers to Exercise 1

1. went
2. bought
3. had
4. took
5. came
6. ate
7. wrote
8. slept
9. spoke
10. saw

Past Simple Irregular Verbs Exercise 2

This second exercise introduces more challenging irregular verbs. Complete the sentences with the correct past simple form.

1. The glass _____ (break) when it fell on the floor.
2. She _____ (teach) English for five years before moving to Spain.
3. I _____ (think) about calling you yesterday.
4. They _____ (build) this house in 1995.
5. He _____ (lose) his keys and couldn’t get into his apartment.
6. We _____ (drink) some delicious local wine on our holiday.
7. The sun _____ (shine) all day during our beach trip.
8. I _____ (read) that book last summer.
9. She _____ (forget) to lock the door when she left.
10. The plane _____ (fly) over the mountains.

Answers to Exercise 2

1. broke
2. taught
3. thought
4. built
5. lost
6. drank
7. shone
8. read
9. forgot
10. flew

Past Simple: Regular vs. Irregular Verbs Comparison

Understanding the difference between regular and irregular verbs is crucial for mastering the past simple tense.

Mixed Regular and Irregular Verbs Exercise

This exercise combines both regular and irregular verbs to help you distinguish between them. Fill in the blanks with the past simple form.

1. I _____ (study) all night yesterday.
2. We _____ (play) poker after dinner.
3. After escaping from prison, he _____ (rob) a bank.
4. He _____ (start) playing chess at the age of 7.
5. They _____ (drive) to the beach last weekend.
6. She _____ (watch) TV until midnight.
7. I _____ (meet) my wife ten years ago.
8. The concert _____ (begin) at 8 pm.
9. They _____ (work) together on the project.
10. He _____ (tell) me about his new job.

Answers to Mixed Exercise

1. studied (regular)
2. played (regular)
3. robbed (regular)
4. started (regular)
5. drove (irregular)
6. watched (regular)
7. met (irregular)
8. began (irregular)
9. worked (regular)
10. told (irregular)

Story-Based Irregular Verbs Exercise

Read the following story about a storm and fill in the blanks with the past simple form of the verbs in brackets.

Sophie: Well, on Thursday afternoon I _____ (see) the weather forecast on the TV in the hotel and it _____ (say) there was a big storm coming.

Oliver: Yes, that _____ (be) when we _____ (decide) to change our plans.

Sophie: The hotel manager _____ (tell) us to stay indoors, but we _____ (think) we would be okay if we _____ (go) out early.

Oliver: We _____ (leave) the hotel at 7 am and _____ (drive) to the mountain anyway.

Sophie: But then the sky suddenly _____ (become) very dark, and it _____ (begin) to rain heavily.

Oliver: We _____ (get) completely wet because we _____ (forget) our umbrellas.

Sophie: It _____ (be) a terrible experience! We _____ (catch) colds and _____ (spend) the rest of our holiday in bed.

Answers to Story Exercise

Sophie: Well, on Thursday afternoon I saw the weather forecast on the TV in the hotel and it said there was a big storm coming.

Oliver: Yes, that was when we decided to change our plans.

Sophie: The hotel manager told us to stay indoors, but we thought we would be okay if we went out early.

Oliver: We left the hotel at 7 am and drove to the mountain anyway.

Sophie: But then the sky suddenly became very dark, and it began to rain heavily.

Oliver: We got completely wet because we forgot our umbrellas.

Sophie: It was a terrible experience! We caught colds and spent the rest of our holiday in bed.

Tips for Learning Irregular Verbs

Group Similar Verbs Together

Some irregular verbs follow similar patterns. Learning them in groups can make memorization easier:
– bring → brought, buy → bought, think → thought
– blow → blew, grow → grew, know → knew, throw → threw
– drink → drank, sing → sang, swim → swam

Use Flashcards

Create flashcards with the base form on one side and the past simple on the other. Review them regularly to reinforce your memory.

Practice in Context

Rather than memorizing isolated verbs, practice using them in sentences or short stories. This helps you remember how they’re used in real communication.

Listen and Read

Expose yourself to English through books, podcasts, and movies. Pay attention to past simple forms in context, which will help you internalize them naturally.

Common Mistakes with Irregular Verbs

Be aware of these common errors when using irregular verbs in the past simple:

1. Adding -ed to irregular verbs (e.g., “goed” instead of “went”)
2. Using the present perfect form instead of simple past (e.g., “I have saw” instead of “I saw”)
3. Confusing similar-sounding verbs (e.g., “lay” vs. “lie”)
4. Forgetting that questions and negatives still use “did/didn’t” with the base form, not the past form

Conclusion

Mastering irregular verbs in the past simple tense requires practice and patience. The exercises provided here offer a structured approach to learning these challenging verb forms. Regular practice with these activities will help you internalize the correct past simple forms and use them confidently in your English communication.

Remember that even native speakers occasionally make mistakes with irregular verbs, so don’t be discouraged if you find them challenging. With consistent practice and exposure to the language, you’ll gradually develop a natural feel for these verbs and use them correctly without having to think about it.

Continue practicing with these exercises, and consider downloading additional resources to further strengthen your skills with irregular verbs in the past simple tense.