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Unit 6: Passive voice
Tips for learning irregular verbs

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  1. 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
  2. 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
  3. 3 If or whether?
  4. 4 5 ways to use 'would'
  5. 5 Let and allow
  6. 6 Passive voice
  7. 7 Unless
  8. 8 Mixed conditionals
  9. 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
  10. 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
  11. 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
  12. 12 The continuous passive
  13. 13 Future perfect
  14. 14 Need + verb-ing
  15. 15 Have something done
  16. 16 Wish
  17. 17 Word stress
  18. 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
  19. 19 Passive reporting structures
  20. 20 The subjunctive
  21. 21 When and if
  22. 22 Inversion
  23. 23 Phrasal verbs
  24. 24 The future
  25. 25 Modals in the past
  26. 26 Narrative tenses
  27. 27 Phrasal verb myths
  28. 28 Conditionals review
  29. 29 Used to - review
  30. 30 Linking words of contrast

Session 4

Learning irregular verbs can be hard. But with Helen's tips they'll become easy!

Sessions in this unit

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Session 4 score

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Stop Saying...

Irregular verbs

As you know, learning irregular verbs in English is not easy. Raphael from Reunion Island would like some tips for learning them. Can Helen help him, and you, learn some new strategies?

Watch the video and complete the activity

Summary

It's a good idea to learn verbs in groups, depending on how many forms they have for the infinitive, past simple and past participle.

One form

  • put, put, put
  • shut, shut, shut

Two forms

  • find, found, found
  • have, had, had

Three forms

  • choose, chose, chosen
  • ring, rang, rung

The last group can be split into further groups in which the three verb forms rhyme, for example:

Rhyming group 1

  • begin, began, begun
  • sing, sang, sung

Rhyming group 2

  • break, broke, broken
  • speak, spoke, spoken

There are more rhyming groups - look at a the Grammar Reference, plus here and here for more tips!

To do

Do you know how many forms these verbs have?

How many forms?

6 Questions

How many forms do these verbs have? Choose the correct answers.

Congratulations you completed the Quiz
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
x / y

End of Session 5

That's it for this session.

Next time we dine at the White Elephant, BBC Learning English's favourite comedy restaurant.

Thanks to St George International school for providing a student for this programme.

Session Grammar

  • Group verbs depending on how many forms they have for the infinitive, past simple and past participle.

    One form

    • put, put, put
    • shut, shut, shut

    Two forms

    • find, found, found
    • have, had, had

    Three forms

    • choose, chose, chosen
    • ring, rang, rung

    The last group can be split into further groups in which the three verb forms rhyme, for example:

    Rhyming group 1

    • begin, began, begun
    • sing, sang, sung

    Rhyming group 2

    • break, broke, broken
    • speak, spoke, spoken
View full grammar reference

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