Learn English Past Simple Regular and Irregular with My favorite band

One of my favorite bands in the United States is named Cloud Cult. They just played a concert close to my hometown in the U.S., but because I’m still living in Argentina I was bummed (disappointed) I wasn’t able to attend. So, after listening to some of their songs I decided to do a lesson on past simple regular and irregular verbs for everyone. Enjoy!

English Past Simple Regular Verbs

• With regular verbs we add ed to the end of the verb. For example walk changes to walked. (Verb + ed)
• Spelling changes; If the word ends in an E such as: SMILE we only add D to the end: SMILED. If the word has a consonant then a Y such as: TRY we change the Y to an I and add ED. So TRY changes to TRIED. If the word end in one vowel (a,e,i,o,u) followed by a consonant such as: TAP then we double the consonant. So TAP changes to TAPPED.
• Pronunciation of the ED ending to indicate past sounds like a T. DO NOT ADD AN EXTRA SYLLABLE. (It sounds like this: playt)
• Pronunciation of ED ending when the word ends in a T or a D. When a word ends in a T or D we pronounce the extra syllable when adding ED to the end to indicate past. Such as START changes to STARTED; LAND changes to LANDED. We pronounce the extra syllable so it sounds like (STAR*TED LAN*DED)

PAST IRREGULAR VERBS

Although there is no rules about how to change irregular verbs there are some patterns that happen. Really you should memorize, (ughhh, I know), speak, take classes, watch movies, and listen to music as much as possible to get the irregulars down. But below you will see some categories and patterns.

1. Very Irregular: These are the special verbs. to be (am/is/are) changes to was/were. Have/has changes to had. Go changes to went. Do/Does/Don’t/Doesn’t changes to did/didn’t.
2. Doesn’t Change: There are the few strange verbs that don’t change from present/past/participle. Cut, Shut, Put,hit, let, Cost.
3. Change Last Letter to T: Usually (not always) when the word ends in a D it changes to a T like: build-built, spend-spent, send-sent, lend-lent. Normally (not a solid rule) if the word has double EE it changes to T like: sleep-slept, keep-kept, feel-felt. Others: lose-lost, leave-left.
4. Change the Letter to a D: No real pattern to this one. Make-made, hear-heard.
5. Change the Middle Letter to an O: Sometimes when the vowel is an I we change the I to an O. Like: win-won, drive-drove, find-found. When the word has double LL we change the middle letter to an O and add D to the end: sell-sold, tell-told. Often when there is an EA combination the EA change to an O such as: steal-stole, break-broke, wear-wore.
6. Change the Middle Letter to an A: Mostly when the word has and I it changes to an A. Like begin-began, give-gave, drink-drank, sing-sang, swim-swam, sit-sat. O and U also change to A like run-ran, come-came, become-became.
7. Change the middle Letter to an E: If the word is OW we usually change it to EW like: know-knew, grow-grew, throw-threw.
8. Ought/Aught/Ould-Sometimes the whole word changes and only the first letter stays the same like: buy-bought, teach-taught, catch-caught.