What Are Regular Verbs?

Regular verbs are a key part of English grammar, adding structure and consistency to the way we describe actions and states. They follow a predictable pattern when changing tense, which helps maintain clarity and continuity in communication. Understanding regular verbs is fundamental to mastering verb conjugation for speaking and writing in English.

In this post, you’ll learn exactly what regular verbs are, their rules and patterns, and how to use them in sentences. You’ll also get a list of helpful regular verb resources to help you master regular verbs and supercharge your English skills.

What Is a Regular Verb?

Regular verbs are a category of verbs in the English language that maintain a consistent pattern when changing forms, especially when shifting between different tenses. When conjugating regular verbs, typically you add “_ed” to the end of the base form to create the past tense and past participle forms. This creates a predictable and straightforward method for verb conjugation.

For example, the base form of the verb “play” becomes “played” in its past and past participle forms. Similarly, “walk” changes to “walked,” and “paint” becomes “painted.”

This consistency makes regular verbs relatively easier to incorporate into both speech and writing. This consistency contrasts with the more unpredictable nature of irregular verbs, which can take various forms for different tenses.

What Are the Types of Regular Verbs?

In English, regular verbs follow a predictable pattern to form their past and past participle tenses by adding “_d” or “_ed” to the base form.

They can be categorized into four main groups based on the spelling rules of their past tense and past participle forms:

1. Basic “_ed” Addition

Directly add “_ed” to verbs ending with consonants or vowels (excluding special cases below).

2. Ending with the Letter “-e”

For verbs ending in silent “-e,” you just add “-d.” Do NOT add “-ed.”

3. Ending with the Letter “-y”

Consonant + -y: Replace “-y” with “_ied.”

Vowel + -y: Keep “-y” and add “_ed.”

4. Doubling the Final Consonant (CVC Rule)

For single-syllable verbs or verbs with stress on the final syllable, if the structure is consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC)), double the final consonant before adding “-ed.”

5. Identical Past and Past Participle Forms

A small group of verbs have identical spelling for their past tense and past participle forms. These verbs may be identified due to the fact that they require the addition of appropriate auxiliary verbs.

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs: Core Differences

Regular verbs consistently use “_d” or “_ed” for past forms, while irregular verbs deviate unpredictably. Examples include “_play_” (regular: “_played_”) vs. “_go_” (irregular: “_went_”). The unpredictability of irregular verbs contrasts with the predictability of regular verbs.

This section briefly contrasts regular and irregular verbs to contextualize their roles.

Advanced Regular Verb Phenomena

This section explores exceptions and dialectal variations within regular verbs.

Pronunciation Rules for "-ed"

1. /t/: After voiceless consonants (e.g., washed /wɒʃt/).
2. /d/: After voiced sounds or vowels (e.g., called /kɔːld/).
3. /ɪd/: After verbs ending in /t/ or /d/ (e.g., wanted /ˈwɒntɪd/).

Hybrid Verbs

1. Dialectal Differences:

   American English (AE): Uses -ed (e.g., learned, burned).

   British English (BE): Prefers -t (e.g., learnt, burnt).

2. Semantic Differences:

   Burned (ongoing action): The fire burned all night.

   Burnt (completed state): The toast is burnt.

3. Other notable rules regarding these particular verbs can be referred to as:

   Regular	Hybrid (BE)
   learned	learnt
   create	created
   fashion	fashioned
   ban	banned

   Why Regular Verbs Matter

   Regular verbs are crucial for effective communication and mastering English.

   • Language Efficiency: Knowing the pattern for regular verbs allows you to conjugate nearly any verb correctly. This ability can be beneficial when learning new vocabulary.
   • Writing Clarity: Understanding how to conjugate regular verbs promotes clarity and accuracy in both spoken and written communication.
   • Pronunciation Accuracy: Knowing how to pronounce regular verbs correctly makes it easier for native speakers to understand you.

   Learning Tips

   List of Common Regular Verbs

   Here’s a list of commonly used regular verbs (along with past and past participle forms) for your reference.

   Infinitive	Simple past	Past participle
   agree	agreed	agreed
   arrive	arrived	arrived
   call	called	called
   cry	cried	cried
   dance	danced	danced
   enjoy	enjoyed	enjoyed
   fail	failed	failed
   hate	hated	hated
   help	helped	helped
   jump	jumped	jumped
   laugh	laughed	laughed
   listen	listened	listened
   love	loved	loved
   move	moved	moved
   need	needed	needed
   play	played	played
   regret	regretted	regretted
   start	started	started
   stop	stopped	stopped
   talk	talked	talked
   thank	thanked	thanked
   try	tried	tried
   update	updated	updated
   use	used	used
   visit	visited	visited
   wait	waited	waited
   want	wanted	wanted

   Top 10 most common irregular verbs in English.

   Memorizing these can help with understanding 50% of the irregular verbs you might encounter.

   Verb	Past	Past Participle
   be	was/were	been
   have	had	had
   do	did	done
   go	went	gone
   get	got	got/gotten
   see	saw	seen
   make	made	made
   know	knew	known
   take	took	taken
   say	said	said

   Conclusion

   Regular verbs add structure and clarity to English. Their consistency in forming past and past participle forms makes them easier to use than irregular verbs. By mastering them, you can improve your English skills and easily understand and use correct conjugations.