Copyright 2007 Sally Jennings at Speak-Read-Write.com
Most of these verbs must have an object after the verb which is not shown in the examples: "John begins work." "John begins his homework."
Usually the present continuous form is used more often than the simple present; "John is shaking the tree." is used more often than "John shakes the tree." For a table of verb forms click here.
Time is shown using the words (today) for the present, (yesterday) for the past, and (tomorrow) for the future.
Column One
Bare Stem
Use for Present Tense - for 3rd person singular only, add "s" to bare stem - singular subject (verb + s).
John shakes (today).
Jane shakes (today).
He shakes (today).
She shakes (today).
It shakes (today).
All others, do not add "s" to the bare stem - subject (verb).
They shake (today).
Column Two
Simple Past Tense - do not add anything to verb - subject (verb).
John shook (yesterday).
They shook (yesterday).
Column Three
Past Participle - do not add anything to verb.
Use for Present Perfect - subject has/have (verb), note: use "has" for 3rd person singular only, all others use "have":
John has shaken (today). He has shaken (today).
They have shaken (today).
Use for Past Perfect - subject had (verb).
John had shaken (yesterday).
They had shaken (yesterday).
Use for Future Perfect - subject will have (verb) (tomorrow).
John will have shaken (tomorrow).
They will have shaken (tomorrow).
| Column One | Column Two | Column Three |
| Bare Stem | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle |
| Present Tense add "s" only for 3rd person singular He (verb + s) (today). They (verb) (today). |
He (verb) (yesterday). It (verb) (yesterday). They (verb) (yesterday). |
He has (verb). It has (verb). They have (verb). He had (verb) (yesterday). He will have (verb) (tomorrow). |
| bear | bore | borne |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| come | came | come |
| dive | dove/dived | dived |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| drive | drove | driven |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade (archaic) | forbidden |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| know | knew | known |
| lie | lay | lain |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| overtake | overtook | overtaken |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| prove | proved | proven/proved |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| saw | sawed | sawn/sawed |
| see | saw | seen |
| sew | sewed | sewn/sewed |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shave | shaved | shaven/shaved |
| show | showed | shown/showed |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| slay | slew (archaic) | slain |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spit | spit/spat | spit |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| strive | strove | striven |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| swell | swelled | swollen |
| swim | swam | swum |
| take | took | taken |
| tear | tore | torn |
| thrive | thrived | thrived |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove/weaved | woven |
| write | wrote | written |
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