Mastering Regular Verbs: Your Shortcut to Storytelling

Have you ever felt stuck trying to describe something that happened yesterday?
While English can sometimes feel like a maze of rules, regular verbs are your best friends.
They are the backbone of the language and follow predictable patterns that make them incredibly easy to learn.
By mastering these, you’ll unlock the ability to tell stories, explain your day, and communicate clearly in both writing and speaking.
Let’s dive in!

What Exactly Are Regular Verbs?

In short, regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent "recipe" when moving from the present to the past.
Instead of changing completely (like go becoming went), regular verbs simply add "-ed" to their base form.

The Formula:

Base form → Past tense → Past participle

• Walk → Walked → Walked

• Play → Played → Played

• Talk → Talked → Talked

The 4 Simple Rules for Spelling

To write correctly in formal and informal contexts, you just need to remember these four quick spelling tweaks:

1. The Standard Rule: For most verbs, just add "-ed".
   Walk → Walked

2. The "E" Rule: If the verb already ends in "e", just add "-d".
   Love → Loved

3. The "Consonant + Y" Rule: Change the "y" to an "i" before adding "-ed".
   Cry → Cried

4. The "Double Consonant" Rule: For short verbs ending in a single vowel + consonant, double that final consonant.
   Stop → Stopped

The Secret Sauce: Pronunciation

The biggest mistake learners make is pronouncing every "-ed" the same way.
There are actually three distinct sounds:

Time to Practice! ✍️

Try these quick exercises:
1. Form the Past: Write the past tense for Jump, Work, Study, and Admit.
2. Fill in the Blanks: Yesterday, I __________ (walk) to the park.

🚀 A Quick Challenge

Can you write a short paragraph about what you did last weekend using only regular verbs?
"Last weekend, I visited my grandparents.
We talked about old times and watched a movie."

Mastering these patterns will make your English sound natural.
Start practicing today!