Course on Irregular Verbs - TOEIC® Preparation
Introduction
Here is a non-exhaustive list of irregular verbs in English. For each verb, we have added a probability (hypothetical and unofficial, based on our own observations) that this verb will appear in the TOEIC®.
The goal is for you to realise which words are most likely to appear in the TOEIC®.
This base will be very useful to you as it will offer you a minimal vocabulary base, which will allow you to approach the TOEIC® more easily.
TOEIC® Irregular Verbs
| Base Verb | Preterite | Past Participle | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| abide | abode | abode | 10% |
| arise | arose | arisen | 20% |
| awake | awoke | awoken | 15% |
| be | was | been | 95% |
| bear | bore | borne | 25% |
| beat | beat | beaten | 30% |
| become | became | become | 95% |
| begin | began | begun | 80% |
| bend | bent | bent | 25% |
| bet | bet | bet | 20% |
| bid | bid | bid | 15% |
| bind | bound | bound | 20% |
| bite | bit | bitten | 15% |
| bleed | bled | bled | 10% |
| blow | blew | blown | 25% |
| break | broke | broken | 80% |
| breed | bred | bred | 15% |
| bring | brought | brought | 95% |
| build | built | built | 80% |
| burn | burnt | burnt | 20% |
| burst | burst | burst | 15% |
| buy | bought | bought | 95% |
| cast | cast | cast | 20% |
| catch | caught | caught | 80% |
| choose | chose | chosen | 50% |
| cling | clung | clung | 15% |
| come | came | come | 95% |
| cost | cost | cost | 80% |
| creep | crept | crept | 15% |
| cut | cut | cut | 80% |
| deal | dealt | dealt | 25% |
| dig | dug | dug | 20% |
| do | did | done | 95% |
| draw | drew | drawn | 50% |
| dream | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed | 20% |
| drink | drank | drunk | 50% |
| drive | drove | driven | 50% |
| dwell | dwelt/dwelled | dwelt/dwelled | 10% |
| eat | ate | eaten | 80% |
| fall | fell | fallen | 50% |
| feed | fed | fed | 30% |
| feel | felt | felt | 80% |
| fight | fought | fought | 30% |
| find | found | found | 95% |
| flee | fled | fled | 15% |
| fling | flung | flung | 10% |
| fly | flew | flown | 30% |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden | 20% |
| forecast | forecast | forecast | 20% |
| foresee | foresaw | foreseen | 15% |
| foretell | foretold | foretold | 10% |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | 50% |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | 25% |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken | 15% |
| freeze | froze | frozen | 30% |
| get | got | got | 95% |
| give | gave | given | 95% |
| go | went | gone | 95% |
| grind | ground | ground | 15% |
| grow | grew | grown | 50% |
| hang | hung | hung | 25% |
| have | had | had | 95% |
| hear | heard | heard | 80% |
| hide | hid | hidden | 30% |
| hit | hit | hit | 50% |
| hold | held | held | 80% |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | 50% |
| keep | kept | kept | 80% |
| kneel | knelt/kneeled | knelt/kneeled | 10% |
| knit | knit | knit | 10% |
| know | knew | known | 95% |
| lay | laid | laid | 30% |
| lead | led | led | 50% |
| lean | leaned/leant | leaned/leant | 15% |
| leap | leaped/leapt | leaped/leapt | 20% |
| learn | learnt | learnt | 50% |
| leave | left | left | 80% |
| lend | lent | lent | 30% |
| let | let | let | 80% |
| lie | lay | lain | 30% |
| light | lit | lit | 25% |
| lose | lost | lost | 80% |
| make | made | made | 95% |
| mean | meant | meant | 80% |
| meet | met | met | 80% |
| mow | mowed | mown | 10% |
| overcome | overcame | overcome | 30% |
| partake | partook | partaken | 10% |
| pay | paid | paid | 95% |
| put | put | put | 95% |
| quit | quit | quit | 20% |
| read | read | read | 80% |
| rid | rid | rid | 15% |
| ride | rode | ridden | 50% |
| ring | rang | rung | 25% |
| rise | rose | risen | 30% |
| run | ran | run | 95% |
| saw | sawed | sawn | 15% |
| say | said | said | 95% |
| see | saw | seen | 95% |
| seek | sought | sought | 30% |
| sell | sold | sold | 80% |
| send | sent | sent | 80% |
| set | set | set | 80% |
| sew | sewed | sewn | 15% |
| shake | shook | shaken | 30% |
| shear | sheared | shorn | 10% |
| shed | shed | shed | 10% |
| shine | shone | shone | 20% |
| shoe | shod | shod | 10% |
| shoot | shot | shot | 30% |
| show | showed | shown | 50% |
| shut | shut | shut | 25% |
| sing | sang | sung | 30% |
| sink | sank | sunk | 25% |
| sit | sat | sat | 80% |
| slay | slew | slain | 10% |
| sleep | slept | slept | 50% |
| slide | slid | slid | 20% |
| slit | slit | slit | 15% |
| smell | smelt/smelled | smelt/smelled | 25% |
| sow | sowed | sown | 10% |
| speak | spoke | spoken | 95% |
| speed | sped | sped | 20% |
| spell | spelt | spelt | 20% |
| spend | spent | spent | 80% |
| spill | spilt | spilt | 15% |
| spin | spun | spun | 20% |
| spit | spat/spit | spat/spit | 10% |
| split | split | split | 20% |
| spoil | spoilt | spoilt | 15% |
| spread | spread | spread | 25% |
| spring | sprang | sprung | 15% |
| stand | stood | stood | 80% |
| steal | stole | stolen | 30% |
| stick | stuck | stuck | 25% |
| sting | stung | stung | 15% |
| stink | stank | stunk | 10% |
| stride | strode | stridden | 10% |
| strike | struck | struck | 30% |
| strive | strove | striven | 15% |
| swear | swore | sworn | 25% |
| sweep | swept | swept | 20% |
| swell | swelled | swollen | 15% |
| swim | swam | swum | 25% |
| swing | swung | swung | 15% |
| take | took | taken | 95% |
| teach | taught | taught | 95% |
| tear | tore | torn | 25% |
| tell | told | told | 95% |
| think | thought | thought | 95% |
| throw | threw | thrown | 50% |
| thrust | thrust | thrust | 10% |
| tread | trod | trodden | 10% |
| undergo | underwent | undergone | 20% |
| understand | understood | understood | 95% |
| undertake | undertook | undertaken | 20% |
| upset | upset | upset | 15% |
| wake | woke | woken | 30% |
| wear | wore | worn | 50% |
| weave | wove | woven | 10% |
| weep | wept | wept | 20% |
| win | won | won | 80% |
| wind | wound | wound | 15% |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn | 25% |
| withhold | withheld | withheld | 20% |
| withstand | withstood | withstood | 15% |
| wring | wrung | wrung | 10% |
| write | wrote | written | 95% |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast | 20% |
| deal (with) | dealt | dealt | 25% |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk | 15% |
Conclusion
If you ever want to learn more about English grammar, we recommend these articles:
