English verb conjugation
All English verbs,
in every tense.
The full conjugation of 226 English verbs: Present Simple and Present Continuous, Past Simple, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Simple, Conditional. With audio pronunciation and examples in context.
How does English conjugation work?
Good news: English conjugation is quite simple. Most verbs just add -s in the 3rd person singular of the Present Simple, and -ed in the Past Simple and the past participle.
Three families to know:
- Regular verbs: most verbs are regular. work → worked → worked.
- Irregular verbs: 172 common verbs to learn by heart. go → went → gone.
- Modal verbs (can, will, must…): they do not change like other verbs and follow their own rules.
Start with the most common irregular verbs (be, have, do, go): you use them all the time when you speak.
to give
gave, to hand something to someone; to let someone have something
to be
was/were, to exist; to have a certain quality or state
to have
had, to own something; to eat or drink something
to do
did, to carry out an action or task; to help make questions and negatives
to go
went, to move or travel somewhere; to leave a place
to get
got, to receive something; to become; to arrive somewhere
to make
made, to create or produce something; to cause something to happen
to take
took, to get hold of something; to carry something somewhere; to need an amount of time
to come
came, to move towards the speaker; to arrive somewhere
to see
saw, to notice with your eyes; to understand; to meet someone
to know
knew, to have information in your mind; to be familiar with someone
to think
thought, to have an opinion; to use your mind
to say
said, to speak words; to tell someone something
to find
found, to discover something, often after looking; to think something is (easy, fun…)
to tell
told, to say something to someone; to share a story
to become
became, to start to be something
to leave
left, to go away from a place; to let something stay
to feel
felt, to have an emotion; to touch to notice something
to bring
brought, to come with something or someone
to begin
began, to start doing something; to start happening
to keep
kept, to have and not give back; to continue
to hold
held, to have something in your hands; to organise an event
to write
wrote, to put words on paper or a screen
to stand
stood, to be on your feet; to accept something you don't like
to hear
heard, to notice sounds with your ears; to get news about something
to let
let, to allow someone to do something; to allow something to happen
to mean
meant, to have a meaning; to want or plan to do
to set
set, to put something somewhere; to fix a date; to adjust an alarm
to meet
met, to see someone for the first time; to come together with someone
to run
ran, to move quickly on your feet; to manage a business
to pay
paid, to give money for something
to sit
sat, to be on a chair or seat; to move down onto a seat
to speak
spoke, to say words; to use a language
to buy
bought, to get something by paying money for it
to eat
ate, to chew and swallow food; to have a meal
to drink
drank, to take liquid into your mouth and swallow it
to fall
fell, to go down to the ground suddenly
to fight
fought, to use force against someone; to try hard to stop something
to fly
flew, to move through the air; to travel by plane
to forget
forgot, to not remember something
to hide
hid, to put something where nobody can find it; to go where nobody can find you
to lose
lost, to stop having something; to not win
to ride
rode, to travel on a bike or horse; to travel as a passenger
to ring
rang, to make the sound of a bell; to phone someone
to rise
rose, to go up; to get up or stand up
to send
sent, to make something go to someone far away
to show
showed, to let someone see something; to make something clear
to sing
sang, to make music with your voice
to sleep
slept, to rest with your eyes closed
to spend
spent, to use money to buy things; to use time
to steal
stole, to take something that is not yours
to swim
swam, to move through water using your arms and legs
to throw
threw, to send something through the air
to understand
understood, to know what something means; to know how someone feels
to wear
wore, to have clothes or jewellery on your body
to win
won, to be the best in a game or competition; to get a prize
to break
broke, to make something go into pieces; to stop working
to build
built, to make something by putting parts together
to catch
caught, to stop and hold something moving; to get a bus or train in time; to get an illness
to choose
chose, to decide which one you want
to cost
cost, to have a price; to make someone lose something
to cut
cut, to divide with a knife or scissors; to reduce something
to draw
drew, to make a picture with a pencil or pen; to pull something, like curtains; to end a game with equal scores
to drive
drove, to control a car, bus or lorry
to grow
grew, to become bigger or taller; to produce plants or vegetables
to hit
hit, to touch something hard and fast; to crash into
to hurt
hurt, to cause pain or injury; to feel pain
to lead
led, to show the way; to be in charge of a group
to light
lit, to start a fire or a flame; to give light
to put
put, to move something into a place or position
to read
read, to look at words and understand them
to sell
sold, to give something for money
to shake
shook, to move quickly up and down or from side to side
to shut
shut, to close something
to teach
taught, to help someone learn something; to give lessons
to wake
woke, to stop sleeping; to make someone stop sleeping
to freeze
froze, to become ice; to make food very cold
to shoot
shot, to fire a gun; to make a film or photo
to shine
shone, to give out bright light; to be very good at something
to spread
spread, to cover a surface; to move to more places
to stick
stuck, to fix something with glue; to push something sharp into
to hang
hung, to put something on a hook or a wall
to beat
beat, to win against someone; to hit again and again
to blow
blew, to push air out of your mouth; (of wind) to move
to dig
dug, to make a hole in the ground
to lend
lent, to let someone use something for a time
to swear
swore, to make a serious promise; to say rude words
to sweep
swept, to clean the floor with a broom
to sink
sank, to go down under water; to make something go down
to quit
quit, to stop doing something; to leave a job
to prove
proved, to show that something is true
to swing
swung, to move back and forward; to move in a curve
to dive
dived, to jump into water head first; to go down quickly
to bite
bit, to cut into something with your teeth
to deal
dealt, to take care of a problem; to give out cards
to seek
sought, to try to find something; to ask for something (formal)
to strike
struck, to hit someone or something; to stop working as a protest
to tear
tore, to pull paper or cloth into pieces
to bend
bent, to make something curved; to move your body forward or down
to bet
bet, to risk money on a result; to be sure
to burn
burned/burnt, to be on fire; to hurt with fire or heat
to smell
smelled/smelt, to notice something with your nose; to have a particular smell
to spell
spelled/spelt, to name the letters of a word; to write a word correctly
to spill
spilled/spilt, to let a liquid fall by accident
to split
split, to divide into parts; to share; to break apart
to spoil
spoiled/spoilt, to ruin something; to give a child everything they want
to forbid
forbade, to say someone must not do something
to kneel
knelt, to go down on your knees
to leap
leapt/leaped, to jump high or a long way
to mistake
mistook, to think one person or thing is another; to understand something wrongly
to weep
wept, to cry, often with strong feeling
to burst
burst, to break open suddenly; to come in suddenly
to fit
fit/fitted, to be the right size; to be right for something
to flee
fled, to run away from danger; to leave quickly
to grind
ground, to crush into small pieces or powder
to shrink
shrank, to become smaller; to make something smaller
to slide
slid, to move smoothly over a surface
to sow
sowed, to put seeds in the ground; to cause doubt or fear
to spring
sprang, to jump suddenly; to appear suddenly
to sting
stung, to hurt the skin with a sharp point; to cause a sharp burning pain
to swell
swelled, to become bigger and rounder; to grow in number
to wind
wound, to wrap something around something; to make a clock work by turning it
to bear
bore, to accept something difficult; to carry something
to bind
bound, to tie something tightly; to make someone keep a promise
to bleed
bled, to lose blood
to breed
bred, to keep animals to produce young ones; to have babies (animals)
to cling
clung, to hold something or someone tightly; to stick to something
to feed
fed, to give food to a person or animal
to fling
flung, to throw something hard and fast
to arise
arose, to start to exist; to happen (formal)
to awake
awoke, to wake up (a literary word); not sleeping
to broadcast
broadcast, to send out a TV or radio programme
to cast
cast, to throw; to choose an actor for a role
to creep
crept, to move slowly and quietly; to grow along something
to dream
dreamed/dreamt, to see pictures while you sleep; to wish for something
to forgive
forgave, to stop being angry with someone
to lay
laid, to put something down flat; to produce an egg
to lean
leaned/leant, to bend your body forward or sideways; to rest against something; to depend on someone
to learn
learned/learnt, to get new knowledge or a new skill
to mow
mowed, to cut grass with a machine
to overcome
overcame, to succeed in dealing with a problem or fear
to plead
pleaded, to answer a charge in court; to ask strongly
to rid
rid, to remove something that you don't want
to saw
sawed, to cut with a saw (a tool with teeth)
to sew
sewed, to join cloth with a needle and thread
to shed
shed, to lose naturally (hair, leaves, skin); to let fall (tears, blood)
to speed
sped, to move very fast; to drive too fast
to spin
spun, to turn round and round quickly; to make thread from wool
to undertake
undertook, to start a big task; to promise formally
to stink
stank, to smell very bad; to be very bad (informal)
to stride
strode, to walk with long, confident steps
to string
strung, to put things on a thread; to hang things in a line
to strive
strove, to try very hard to do something
to tread
trod, to step on something; to walk somewhere
to undo
undid, to open something tied or fastened; to cancel an action
to weave
wove, to make cloth by crossing threads; to move in and out between things
to wet
wet, to put water on something
to withdraw
withdrew, to take money out of a bank; to stop taking part
to wring
wrung, to twist something hard; to twist out water
to slay
slew, to kill, often in a heroic way; (slang) to do brilliantly
to dwell
dwelt, to live in a place (formal); to keep thinking about something bad
to withstand
withstood, to stay strong against a force; to deal with something hard
to withhold
withheld, to refuse to give something; to keep information secret
to knit
knitted, to make clothes from wool with long needles
to lie
lay/lied, to be in a flat, resting position; to say something that is not true
to foresee
foresaw, to know that something will happen
to foretell
foretold, to say what will happen in the future
to redo
redid, to do something again
to retell
retold, to tell a story again, often in a new way
to uphold
upheld, to support and protect a law or value; to confirm a decision (in court)
to overtake
overtook, to go past a slower car; to become bigger than
to behold
beheld, to look at or see something (literary)
can
to be able to; to be allowed to
could
to be able to, in the past; to be possible; to ask politely
will
used to talk about the future; used for promises and offers
would
used for imagined situations; used to ask politely
shall
to make a suggestion or an offer; to talk about the future (formal)
should
to say that something is a good idea; to say what you expect
may
to be possible; to be allowed to
might
used to say something is possible, not certain
must
to be obliged to do something; to be almost sure
to work
worked, to do a job; to function correctly
to play
played, to take part in a game or sport; to make music with an instrument
to help
helped, to do something useful for someone
to walk
walked, to move on foot
to talk
talked, to speak with someone; to have a conversation
to ask
asked, to try to get an answer; to say you want something
to look
looked, to turn your eyes towards something; to seem
to listen
listened, to pay attention to a sound or to someone speaking
to watch
watched, to look at something for some time; to guard
to study
studied, to spend time learning about a subject
to finish
finished, to complete something; to come to an end
to start
started, to begin doing something; to make a machine begin working
to stop
stopped, to end an action; to stop moving
to open
opened, to make something not closed; to start working, for a shop
to close
closed, to shut something; to stop being open
to clean
cleaned, to remove dirt from something
to cook
cooked, to make food ready to eat, using heat
to wash
washed, to clean something with water
to visit
visited, to go and see a person or a place
to travel
travelled, to go from one place to another; to go on a trip
to plan
planned, to decide what you will do and how
to answer
answered, to say or write something back; to pick up a ringing phone
to try
tried, to make an effort to do something; to test something
to want
wanted, to wish to have or do something
to need
needed, to feel that something is necessary; to have to do something
to like
liked, to enjoy something; to think something is nice
to love
loved, to have strong feelings for someone; to like something very much
to hate
hated, to dislike someone or something very much
to prefer
preferred, to like one thing more than another
to remember
remembered, to keep something in your memory; to not forget
to decide
decided, to choose what to do after thinking
to believe
believed, to think that something is true
to hope
hoped, to want something to happen
to agree
agreed, to have the same opinion; to say yes
to change
changed, to become different; to make something different
to move
moved, to change position; to go to live somewhere new; to make someone feel emotion
to turn
turned, to move round; to change direction; to become
to arrive
arrived, to reach a place after a journey
to call
called, to phone someone; to give someone or something a name
to return
returned, to come or go back; to give something back
to enter
entered, to go or come into a place; to type information
to climb
climbed, to go up using your hands and feet
to jump
jumped, to push yourself up into the air; to move suddenly because of surprise
to dance
danced, to move your body to music
to wish
wished, to want something unreal or impossible; to hope someone has something good
Can't find your verb?
We have pages for the 226 most common English verbs. You can find more on the other Learn English pages.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.