Tricky Past Tense Verbs

Most verbs are regular, meaning they follow a simple rule: just add -ed to the end to talk about the past. For example, 'play' becomes 'played'. However, irregular verbs are rebels. They don't like the -ed rule and change their spelling entirely!

Think of these three common rebels: 1. Go becomes went (not 'goed') 2. Run becomes ran (not 'runned') 3. See becomes saw (not 'seed')

Learning these is like memorizing a secret code. There is no magic formula like $Verb + ed = Past$; you just have to get to know these words as friends!

The most common irregular verb is 'to be'. In the past tense, it splits into two forms: was and were. Choosing the right one depends on the subject (who or what is doing the action).

Use was for singular subjects (one person or thing): - 'I was hungry.' - 'The dog was loud.'

Use were for plural subjects (more than one) or the word 'you': - 'They were happy.' - 'You were late.'

A simple way to remember is: $1 \text{ person} = \text{was}$, while $2+ \text{ people} = \text{were}$.

Even though irregular verbs are rebels, some of them follow 'secret patterns' that make them easier to remember.

The 'I' to 'A' Pattern: - Drink $\rightarrow$ Drank - Sing $\rightarrow$ Sang - Swim $\rightarrow$ Swam

The 'O' to 'E' Pattern: - Grow $\rightarrow$ Grew - Throw $\rightarrow$ Threw - Know $\rightarrow$ Knew

When you see a new verb, check if it fits one of these families. It makes the 'rebel' verbs feel much more organized!