ESLGold Verb List Lyrics

Regular Verbs

base -s form past past participle -ing form notes

call calls called called calling
clean cleans cleaned cleaned cleaning

look looks looked looked looking 1
talk talks talked talked talking 1

end ends ended ended ending 2
wait waits waited waited waiting 2

kiss kisses kissed kissed kissing 3
wash washes washed washed washing 3

live lives lived lived living 4
love loves loved loved loving 4

beg begs begged begged begging 5
sin sins sinned sinned sinning 5

play plays played played playing
stay stays stayed stayed staying

cry cries cried cried crying 6
studies studied studied studying 6

die dies died died dying
tie ties tied tied tying

Notes:

1. p___unciation differences in past/past participle after /p, s, k, f/ sounds

2. p___unciation differences in past/past participle after /t, d/ sounds

3. Spelling and p___unciation differences in -s form after /s, sh, ch, z/ sounds

4. Dropping of "silent e" with -ing endings

5. Doubled consonants after "short" vowel sounds

6. Spelling differences when "y" is preceded by a consonant

Irregular Verbs

base -s form past past participle -ing form

cut cuts cut cut cutting
fit fits fit fit fitting
hit hits hit hit hitting
let lets let let letting
put puts put put putting
quit quits quit quit quitting
set sets set set setting
shut shuts shut shut shutting
split splits split split splitting
upset upsets upset upset upsetting

burst bursts burst burst bursting
cast casts cast cast casting
cost costs cost cost costing*
hurt hurts hurt hurt hurting

spread spreads spread spread spreading

knit knits knit/knitted knit/knitted knitting

sit sits sat sat sitting
spit spits spat/spit spat/spit spitting

begin begins began begun beginning
swim swims swam swum swimming

ring rings rang rung ringing
sing sings sang sung singing
spring springs sprang sprung springing

cling clings clung clung clinging
fling flings flung flung flinging
sling slings slung slung slinging
sting stings stung stung stinging
swing swings swung swung swinging
wring wrings wrung wrung wringing

hang hangs hung/hanged** hung/hanged hanging

drink drinks drank drunk sinking
shrink shrinks shrank shrunk shrinking
stink stinks stank stunk stinking

think thinks thought thought thinking
bring brings brought brought bringing

buy buys bought bought buying
seek seeks sought sought seeking
fight fights fought fought fighting

catch catches caught caught catching
teach teaches taught taught teaching

creep creeps crept crept creeping
keep keeps kept kept keeping
sleep sleeps slept slept sleeping
sweep sweeps swept swept sweeping
weep weeps wept wept weeping

bleed bleeds bled bled bleeding
breed breeds bred bred breeding
feed feeds fed fed feeding
flee flees fled fled fleeing
lead leads led led leading
speed speeds sped/speeded sped/speeded speeding

meet meets met met meeting

bend bends bent bent bending
lend lends lent lent lending
send sends sent sent sending
spend spends spent spent spending

deal deals dealt dealt dealing
feel feels felt felt feeling
kneel kneels knelt knelt kneeling

dream dreams dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed dreaming

mean means meant meant meaning

spill spills spilt/spilled spilt/spilled spilling

build builds built built building

burn burns burnt/burned burnt/burned burning

hold holds held held holding

sell sells sold sold selling
tell tells told told telling

find finds found found finding
grind grinds ground ground grinding
wind winds wound wound winding

break breaks broke broken breaking
choose chooses chose chosen choosing
freeze freezes froze frozen freezing
speak speaks spoke spoken speaking
steal steals stole stolen stealing
wake wakes woke woken waking
weave weaves wove woven weaving

arise arises arose arisen arising
drive drives drove driven driving
ride rides rode ridden riding
rise rises rose risen rising
write writes wrote written writing

bite bites bit bitten biting
hide hides hid hidden hiding
slide slides slid slid sliding

get gets got gotten getting
forget forgets forgot forgotten forgetting

give gives gave given giving
forgive forgives forgave forgiven forgiving
forbid forbids forbade/forbad forbidden forbidding

fall falls fell fallen falling

swell swells swelled swollen swelling

dive dives dove/dived dived diving

blow blows blew blown blowing
fly flies flew flown flying
grow grows grew grown growing
know knows knew known knowing
throw throws threw thrown throwing

draw draws drew drawn drawing
withdraw withdraws withdrew withdrawn withdrawing

show shows showed shown showing

eat eats ate eaten eating

beat beats beat beaten beating

take takes took taken taking
forsake forsakes forsook forsaken forsaking
mistake mistakes mistook mistaken mistaking
shake shakes shook shaken shaking

make makes making

swear swears swore sworn swearing
wear wears wore worn wearing
tear tears tore torn tearing
bear bears bore born bearing

stand stands stood stood standing
understand understands understood understood understanding

become becomes became become becoming
come comes came come coming
run runs ran run running

dig digs dug dug digging
spin spins spun spun spinning
stick sticks stuck stuck sticking

strike strikes struck struck/stricken striking

do does did done doing
go goes went gone going

have has had had having

hear hears heard heard hearing

lay lays laid laid laying
pay pays paid paid paying
say says said said saying

lie lies lay lain lying

light lights lit/lighted lit/lighted lighting

lose loses lost lost losing

leave leaves left left leaving

prove proves proved proven/proved proving

read reads read read reading

see sees saw seen seeing

sew sews sewed sewn/sewed sewing

shave shaves shaved shaven/shaved shaving

shine shines shined/shone shined/shone shining

shoot shoots shot shooting

win wins won won winning

be is/are/am was/were been being

* "Cost" does not usually occur in the -ing form.

** "hang" has two different meanings and thus two usages in past/past participle

Choosing the Correct Verb Tense

1. Does Tense = Time ?

Not Always

2. Situation and Time Words determine Time
3. Time chooses Tense (not the other way around)

4. Present Time (Now)

Present Continuous Tense

I am eating my dinner right now.

Present Tense for "non-action" verbs

I want some chocolate ice cream.
5. Future Time
Future with "will"

I will leave tomorrow

Future with "be going to"

I am going to leave tomorrow.

Future Continuous tense

I will be leaving tomorrow.

Future with Present Continuous tense

I am leaving tomorrow

Future with Present tense

I leave tomorrow.
Past Time
Facts: Use Simple Past Tense only

I ate my breakfast at 7:00 this morning.

Relationship between two times.

I had eaten my breakfast when my roommate left.

Relationship between events.

I was eating my breakfast when the telephone rang.

Action Verbs
Walk walks walked walked walking
Open opens opened opened opening
Close closes closed closed closing
Talk talks talked talked talking
Look looks looked looked looking
Listen listens listened listened listening
Wash washes washed washed washing
Watch watches watched watched watching
Clean cleans cleaned cleaned cleaning
Smell smells smelled smelled smelling
Smile smiles smiled smiled smiling
Laugh laughs laughed laughed laughing
Taste tastes tasted tasted tasting
Stop stops stopped stopped stopping
Cry cries cried cried crying
Try tries tried tried trying
Eat eats ate eaten eating
See sees saw seen seeing
Speak speaks spoke spoken speaking
Take takes took taken taking
Make makes made made making
Give gives gave given giving
Write writes wrote written writing
Do does did done doing
Go goes went gone going
Sing sings sang sung singing
Drink drinks drank drunk drinking
Sit sits sat sat sitting
Stand stands stood stood standing
Say says said said saying
Sleep sleeps slept slept sleeping
Keep keeps kept kept keeping
Feel feels felt felt feeling
Hear hears heard heard hearing
Cut cuts cut cut cutting
Hit hits hit hit hitting
Set sets set set setting
Put puts put put putting
Come comes came come coming
Run runs ran run running
Read reads read read reading
Think thinks thought thought thinking
Bring brings brought brought bringing
Buy buys bought bought buying