A small list, used constantly
You do not need every irregular verb in English. You need the ones that turn up in ordinary sentences — emails, tickets, conversations:
written · sent · broken · taken · seen · done · gone · been · given · eaten · spoken · come · made · said · put
Same in the past and the participle
Some irregular verbs reuse the past simple as the participle. Learn two forms, not three:
| Present | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| make | made | made |
| send | sent | sent |
| say | said | said |
| put | put | put |
| come | came | come |
Come is the odd one in that group: the past is came, but the participle goes back to come.
Different in the past and the participle
These are the ones that bite. The past simple will not do after have or be:
| Present | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| write | wrote | written |
| see | saw | seen |
| do | did | done |
| go | went | gone |
| be | was / were | been |
| take | took | taken |
| break | broke | broken |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| give | gave | given |
| speak | spoke | spoken |