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How to use and form regular verbs in English

Regular verbs are the backbone of English grammar, especially when talking about the past.
Unlike irregular verbs, regular verbs follow predictable patterns, making them easier to learn.
By mastering regular verbs, you’ll be able to communicate clearly and effectively in both writing and speaking.

What are regular verbs?
Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when forming their past tense and past participle. This pattern involves adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb.

- Base form → Past tense → Past participle
- Examples:
  - Walk → Walked → Walked
  - Play → Played → Played
  - Talk → Talked → Talked

Why are regular verbs important?
Regular verbs make up a large portion of English vocabulary. Learning their patterns will help you:
- Talk about past events with ease.
- Write correctly in formal and informal contexts.
- Understand and use English grammar more confidently.

Rules for forming regular verbs
1. Add "-ed" to the Base Form
   For most regular verbs, simply add "-ed" to form the past tense and past participle.
   - Examples:
     - Walk → Walked
     - Laugh → Laughed

2. Verbs Ending in E
   For verbs ending in "e," just add "-d."
   - Examples:
     - Dance → Danced
     - Love → Loved

3. Verbs Ending in a Consonant + Y
   Change the "y" to "i" and add "-ed."
   - Examples:
     - Cry → Cried
     - Carry → Carried

4. Short Verbs Ending in a Single Vowel + Consonant
   Double the final consonant and add "-ed."
   - Examples:
     - Stop → Stopped
     - Plan → Planned

Pronunciation of -ed
The "-ed" ending of regular verbs is pronounced in three different ways, depending on the final sound of the base verb:

1. /t/: For verbs ending in unvoiced sounds like "p, k, f, s, sh, ch."
   - Examples:
     - Stop → Stopped (/stɒpt/)
     - Wish → Wished (/wɪʃt/)

2. /d/: For verbs ending in voiced sounds like "b, g, v, z, m, n, l, r," and all vowels.
   - Examples:
     - Play → Played (/pleɪd/)
     - Call → Called (/kɔːld/)

3. /ɪd/: For verbs ending in "t" or "d."
   - Examples:
     - Wait → Waited (/weɪtɪd/)
     - End → Ended (/ɛndɪd/)

Practice exercises
1. Write the past tense and past participle forms of these verbs:
   - Jump
   - Work
   - Study
   - Admit

2. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the regular verb:
   - Yesterday, I ___ (walk) to the park.
   - She has ___ (finish) her homework.
   - We ___ (plan) a trip last summer.

3. Group the following verbs by their "-ed" pronunciation:
   - Help, Play, Need, Laugh, Start

A quick challenge
Write a paragraph about what you did last weekend using only regular verbs. 
For example:
- Last weekend, I visited my grandparents.
We talked about old times, laughed at funny stories, and watched a great movie together.

Use our gap-fill quizzes to train.
Select Regular Verbs in the grammar dropdown.

https://fluencyonlife.com/english-fill-in-gaps-quizzes/

https://fluencyonlife.com/english-world-topics-with-questions-and-audio/

By mastering regular verbs and their patterns, you’ll find it much easier to discuss the past and write accurately.
Start practicing today!