TT.5 Identify the irregular past tense
What is past tense?
Past tense tells about an action that already happened. The action is finished and took place before now.
- Today I walk to school.
- Yesterday I walked to school.
- Last night I jumped over a puddle.
Past tense helps readers know when an action happened.
Regular and irregular past tense verbs
Some action verbs form the past tense by adding -ed. These are called regular verbs. Other action verbs do not follow this rule. These are called irregular verbs.
- jump → jumped (regular)
- play → played (regular)
- run → ran (irregular)
- go → went (irregular)
Irregular verbs do not end in -ed in the past tense.
What are irregular past tense action verbs?
Irregular past tense action verbs are verbs that change spelling in a special way to show the past. They do not follow a pattern you can sound out.
- eat → ate
- see → saw
- take → took
- come → came
You must remember how each irregular verb changes.
Common irregular past tense action verbs
These irregular action verbs are used often in reading, writing, and speaking.
- go → went
- run → ran
- eat → ate
- see → saw
- make → made
- get → got
- give → gave
Reading and practicing these verbs helps you learn them faster.
Using irregular past tense verbs in sentences
When you write about something that already happened, use the correct irregular past tense verb.
- Today I run fast. → Yesterday I ran fast.
- I eat lunch now. → I ate lunch earlier.
- I see the dog. → I saw the dog.
Ask yourself: Did this action already happen? If yes, use the past tense.
Common Core alignment: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E – Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future.
Notes for teachers
This free lesson is aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E. Use it for whole-class instruction, independent practice, or homework.
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