03
Past Simple — Irregular Verbs
Went, saw, ate — the most common irregular forms.
Visual Explanation
Affirmative
Subject+irregular past form+complement
Examples
I went to the market this morning.
She ate lunch at her desk.
They saw a great film last night.
When to Use
- No pattern to follow
- Irregular verbs do not add -ed. Each one has its own form: go/went, see/saw, eat/ate, take/took.
- Negatives use 'did not'
- In negatives and questions, use 'did' + base form: 'I didn't go,' not 'I didn't went.'
- Most common verbs are irregular
- Be, have, go, do, say, get, make, come, take, know — learn these first.
Tip
In negative sentences and questions, the main verb goes back to the base form: 'Did you see it?' not 'Did you saw it?'