Regular Verb
Phonetics:
reɡjələ(r)' vɜːb
Pronunciation:
The Rhythm of Regular Verbs: Unlocking the Flow in Language
Comprehensive Definition, Description, Examples & Rules
Introduction to Regular Verbs
Definition of regular verb: A regular verb is a type of verb in English Grammar whose past tense can simply be formed by adding -ed or –d to the root verb. For example, ‘walk, walked, walked’, ‘save, saved, saved’, ‘reply, replied, replied’, etc. Hence, regular verbs follow a common and predictable pattern in their verb forms as all of their past and past participle forms end with –ed, -d, or –ied, depending on the root verb.
Regular verbs English follow a consistent pattern in making their past and past participle forms. A general view to understand this is:
- Verbs ending with ‘e’ are succeeded by the suffix ‘d’.
- Verbs ending in a vowel followed by a consonant are changed by simply adding ‘ed’ or ‘ing’ to the base form.
- If a word ends with y preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to ied.
Regular Verb Conjugation Patterns
Adding –ed
Some regular verbs are turned into their past and past participle forms by only adding the suffix –ed to the root form of the verb, whereas some verbs(like those ending with the letter ‘t’, are turned into their past and past participle forms by doubling the last consonant and then adding –ed. This would be further clear with the help of the following regular forms of verbs list:
Regular verb | Simple Past Form | Past Participle |
Talk | Talked | Talked |
Pack | Packed | Packed |
Track | Tracked | Tracked |
Remit | Remitted | Remitted |
Emit | Emitted | Emitted |
Recruit | Recruited | Recruited |
Adding –d (to verbs that end with ‘e’)
Regular verbs already ending with ‘e’ take the forms of their past and past participle with the addition of the suffix, ‘d’ at the end of the root verb. This can be understood with the help of the following list:
Regular verb | Simple Past | Past Participle |
Gaze | Gazed | Gazed |
Aspire | Aspired | Aspired |
Agree | Agreed | Agreed |
Immerse | Immersed | Immersed |
Chase | Chased | Chased |
Fade | Faded | Faded |
Adding –ied (to verbs that end with ‘y’)
Some regular verbs that have ‘y’ at the end of their root verb make their respective past and past participle forms by omitting the y from the root verb and adding the suffix, ‘ied’ in the place of ‘y’. Have a look at the given regular forms of verb list:
Regular verb | Simple Past | Past Participle |
Magnify | Magnified | Magnified |
Marry | Married | Married |
Levy | Levied | Levied |
Miscarry | Miscarried | Miscarried |
Exemplify | Exemplified | Exemplified |
Testify | Testified | Testified |
Example of Regular Verbs in Action
Regular verbs come in handy when we want to describe an action taking place or one that took place in the past. While describing an action in the present, the suffix ‘s’ or ‘es’ is added to the root form of the verb, whereas when we want to talk about something that happened in the past, then the root form follows the rules mentioned above. Examples:
Verb: Work
‘Rita works on the project like the expert that she is.’ (Present tense)
‘Rita worked on the project like an expert that she is.’ (Simple past tense)
Verb: Agree
‘The boys agree to take the matter to the next level.’(Present tense(
‘The boys agreed to take the matter to the next level.’(Simple past tense)
Verb: Exemplify
‘Rohan exemplifies the nitty-gritty of tech-related undertakings very efficiently for the interns.’ (Present tense)
‘Rohan exemplified the nitty-gritty of tech-related undertakings very efficiently for the interns.’ (Simple past tense)
List of Common Regular Verbs
Check the regular forms of verbs list below some commonly used regular verbs:
- Walk
- Talk
- Plan
- Dance
- Work
- Live
- Start
- Finish
- Smile
- Cry
Regular Verbs in Different Verb Tenses
Regular verbs are used differently according to the different tenses in which they are used.
Present Tense
The present tense, which denotes an action that is either habitual or is currently taking place, makes use of the root form of the regular verb with the added suffix,‘s’ or ‘es’. Example of regular verb:
The children go to school every day.
The poor boy collects garbage bags every morning from several homes.
Past Tense
The past tense denotes an action that has already taken place and is being reported in the present. The suffixes ‘d’ or ‘ed’ are added to the root form of the verb to denote actions that took place in the past.
Example of regular verbs:
A huge crowd gathered to see Michael Jackson perform last night.
The child gazed at the night sky with wonder as it was full of stars.
Future Tense
The future tense denoted actions that have not taken place yet but have a possibility or a certainty to occur in the coming future. Example of regular verbs:
Michael Jackson will perform for the crown tomorrow night.
The sky will be full of fireworks on the fourth of July.
Regular Verbs in Different Sentence Types
Affirmative Sentences
Affirmative sentences declare or state something that is factual or is certainly going to take place.
Example of regular verbs: I teach at a primary school from Monday to Friday.
The sun rises in the east.
Negative Sentences
Negative sentences negate or deny something from happening. Examples:
Pluto is not considered one of the planets anymore.
The news anchor cannot state anything without solid backing.
Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences are those sentences that come into place when we want to inquire or pose a question. Examples: Will you be attending the concert tonight?
When did you fill out the admission form?
Common Mistakes and Challenges
Using the wrong tense of the verb is the most common mistake that you should avoid. For example: ‘I am going to write the assignment’ instead of ‘I am going to write the assignment.’
Another common mistake is that of subject-verb-agreement, wherein the verb needs to fit correctly with the subject. For example: ‘ Rita picks flowers.’ Instead ‘Rita picks flowers.’
Tips for avoiding irregularities and ensuring correct usage of regular verb
Some useful tips to remember for the correct usage of regular verbs are described as follows:
- One should keep in mind to only add the suffix -d to root forms of the verbs ending with e.
- The suffix -ed is added to most regular forms of verb to turn them into their past and past participle, but in some cases where the verb ends with ‘y’, the suffix -ied is added.
- Some exceptions are to be kept in mind while making the choice of the correct usage of regular verbs. For example: Go – went – gone; Be – was/were – been, etc.
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Key Takeaways
- Regular verbs follow the same conjugal pattern in their past and past participle forms.
- Regular verbs ending with -ed, -d, or -ied added to the root form of the verb.
- Regular verbs are placed differently in different types of sentences, such as affirmative, negative, and interrogative.
Quiz
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Frequently Asked Questions
The regular verb changes its form based on the tense of the sentence and the subject as well. If the subject is singular, ‘s’ or ‘es’ is added to the root form of the verb, whereas if the subject is plural, the root form remains intact.
Some irregularities to be kept in mind while using regular verbs are with words such as ‘pray’, which has its past and past participle as ‘prayed’ and ‘prayed’ and does not end with ‘ied’ like other verbs ending with ‘y’.
In affirmative sentences, the regular verb is used in its basic structure; in negative sentences, it is preceded with a negation, usually ‘not’, and in interrogative sentences, it is preceded with words such as ‘what, why, when’, etc.
Some common examples of regular verbs in English are walk, talk, dance, terrify, graze, emit, credit, lie, etc.
Regular verbs are very easy to understand with time as they maintain conjugation patterns in past and past participle forms.
Yes, regular verbs can be used in both formal and informal writing.
