Year 7 English: Irregular Past Tense

What is the Irregular Past Tense?

The irregular past tense is a way we talk about things that happened in the past. Most verbs in English follow a simple rule: you add -ed to the end of the verb. For example, “play” becomes “played.” However, some verbs do not follow this rule. These are called irregular verbs.

Key Rules for Irregular Past Tense

1. No Regular Pattern: Irregular verbs change completely or partially in their past tense forms. There is no single rule to follow.
2. Common Irregular Verbs: Some of the most common irregular verbs include:
   • Go → Went
   • Eat → Ate
   • See → Saw
   • Have → Had
   • Make → Made
3. Learn Them: Since there’s no rule for changing these verbs, the best way to master them is to memorise their past tense forms.

Tips and Tricks

• Create Flashcards: Write the base form of the verb on one side and the past tense on the other. Practice regularly!
• Group Study: Work with friends to quiz each other on different irregular verbs.
• Use Them in Sentences: Write sentences using both the base form and the past tense to help remember them better.
• Visual Aids: Make a chart of common irregular verbs and hang it where you can see it often.

Examples of Irregular Past Tense

Here are some sentences using irregular past tense verbs:

• Yesterday, I went to the park. (Go → Went)
• Last week, we ate pizza. (Eat → Ate)
• She saw a movie last night. (See → Saw)
• They had a big celebration. (Have → Had)
• He made a cake for the party. (Make → Made)

Practice Questions

Easy Level (1-20)

1. What is the past tense of “run”?
2. What is the past tense of “begin”?
3. What is the past tense of “drink”?
4. What is the past tense of “swim”?
5. What is the past tense of “take”?
6. What is the past tense of “give”?
7. What is the past tense of “sing”?
8. What is the past tense of “bring”?
9. What is the past tense of “choose”?
10. What is the past tense of “know”?
11. What is the past tense of “write”?
12. What is the past tense of “teach”?
13. What is the past tense of “buy”?
14. What is the past tense of “catch”?
15. What is the past tense of “feel”?
16. What is the past tense of “leave”?
17. What is the past tense of “find”?
18. What is the past tense of “tell”?
19. What is the past tense of “think”?
20. What is the past tense of “go”?

Medium Level (21-40)

21. Yesterday, I (go) to school. → I went to school.
22. She (see) her friend last week. → She saw her friend last week.
23. They (eat) dinner at 7 PM. → They ate dinner at 7 PM.
24. He (make) a drawing for his teacher. → He made a drawing for his teacher.
25. We (have) a party last Saturday. → We had a party last Saturday.
26. I (take) my dog for a walk. → I took my dog for a walk.
27. The cat (catch) the mouse. → The cat caught the mouse.
28. She (give) him a gift. → She gave him a gift.
29. They (bring) snacks to the picnic. → They brought snacks to the picnic.
30. He (begin) his homework after dinner. → He began his homework after dinner.
31. I (swim) in the pool yesterday. → I swam in the pool yesterday.
32. She (sing) a beautiful song. → She sang a beautiful song.
33. We (know) the answer to the question. → We knew the answer to the question.
34. I (write) a letter to my friend. → I wrote a letter to my friend.
35. They (teach) us how to play. → They taught us how to play.
36. He (feel) happy about the news. → He felt happy about the news.
37. I (leave) my book at home. → I left my book at home.
38. She (find) her keys under the sofa. → She found her keys under the sofa.
39. He (tell) a funny joke. → He told a funny joke.
40. They (think) it was a good idea. → They thought it was a good idea.

Hard Level (41-60)

41. What is the past tense of “go”?
42. What is the past tense of “forget”?
43. What is the past tense of “drive”?
44. What is the past tense of “speak”?
45. What is the past tense of “build”?
46. What is the past tense of “ring”?
47. What is the past tense of “choose”?
48. What is the past tense of “fly”?
49. What is the past tense of “hide”?
50. What is the past tense of “see”?
51. What is the past tense of “shake”?
52. What is the past tense of “tell”?
53. What is the past tense of “wear”?
54. What is the past tense of “win”?
55. What is the past tense of “meet”?
56. What is the past tense of “creep”?
57. What is the past tense of “tear”?
58. What is the past tense of “speak”?
59. What is the past tense of “buy”?
60. What is the past tense of “teach”?

Answers

Easy Level Answers

1. Ran
2. Began
3. Drank
4. Swam
5. Took
6. Gave
7. Sang
8. Brought
9. Chose
10. Knew
11. Wrote
12. Taught
13. Bought
14. Caught
15. Felt
16. Left
17. Found
18. Told
19. Thought
20. Went

Medium Level Answers

21. Went
22. Saw
23. Ate
24. Made
25. Had
26. Took
27. Caught
28. Gave
29. Brought
30. Began
31. Swam
32. Sang
33. Knew
34. Wrote
35. Taught
36. Felt
37. Left
38. Found
39. Told
40. Thought

Hard Level Answers

41. Went
42. Forgot
43. Drove
44. Spoke
45. Built
46. Rang
47. Chose
48. Flew
49. Hid
50. Saw
51. Shook
52. Told
53. Wore
54. Won
55. Met
56. Crept
57. Tore
58. Spoke
59. Bought
60. Taught

Feel free to practice these questions and answers to improve your understanding of the irregular past tense! Happy learning!