Irregular Verbs Cheat Sheet for 11+ English
Irregular Verbs Trip Up Even Strong Students
"I runned to school" sounds obviously wrong. But what about "I have drank" vs. "I have drunk"? Or "The bell rung" vs. "The bell rang"?
Irregular verbs don't follow standard rules. They need to be memorized. And they appear constantly in 11+ English exams:
- ✅ Grammar questions test correct usage directly
- ✅ Creative writing is marked down for incorrect verbs
- ✅ Comprehension requires understanding past tenses
Download our free 25-verb starter poster below, or get the complete 75-verb cheat sheet with exercises (£3.99).
Why Irregular Verbs Matter in 11+ Exams
Most verbs in English follow predictable patterns:
- Regular verbs: Add "-ed" for past tense (walk → walked, play → played)
But irregular verbs don't follow this rule. They change unpredictably:
- go → went (not "goed")
- eat → ate → eaten (not "eated")
- sing → sang → sung (not "singed")
11+ exams specifically target these because:
- They reveal depth of language knowledge - Beyond basic rules
- They're easy to test - Clear right/wrong answers
- They differentiate strong candidates - Most students make errors here
The 75 Most Important Irregular Verbs for 11+
We've analyzed thousands of 11+ papers and identified the irregular verbs that appear most frequently. Learn these, and your child will be prepared for any exam.
Essential Irregular Verbs (25 Most Common)
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be | was/were | been | I was there / I have been there |
| Go | went | gone | She went home / She has gone home |
| Have | had | had | He had lunch / He has had lunch |
| Do | did | done | I did it / I have done it |
| Say | said | said | She said hello / She has said hello |
| Get | got | got/gotten | He got a gift / He has got a gift |
| Make | made | made | They made a cake / They have made a cake |
| Know | knew | known | I knew her / I have known her |
| Think | thought | thought | She thought hard / She has thought hard |
| Take | took | taken | He took it / He has taken it |
| See | saw | seen | I saw him / I have seen him |
| Come | came | come | She came late / She has come late |
| Give | gave | given | He gave advice / He has given advice |
| Find | found | found | I found it / I have found it |
| Tell | told | told | She told me / She has told me |
Words 16-25: Become, Leave, Feel, Bring, Begin, Keep, Hold, Write, Stand, Hear
Get the First 25 Verbs as a Free Printable Poster
Perfect for hanging on a wall or desk for daily reference. A4 size, ready to print.
Common Irregular Verbs (26-50)
These verbs appear regularly in 11+ papers:
- Run → ran → run
- Show → showed → shown
- Grow → grew → grown
- Break → broke → broken
- Speak → spoke → spoken
- Choose → chose → chosen
- Fall → fell → fallen
- Forget → forgot → forgotten
- Throw → threw → thrown
- Wear → wore → worn
- Drive → drove → driven
- Ride → rode → ridden
- Rise → rose → risen
- Freeze → froze → frozen
- Steal → stole → stolen
- Swim → swam → swum
- Sing → sang → sung
- Ring → rang → rung
- Drink → drank → drunk
- Sink → sank → sunk
- Blow → blew → blown
- Fly → flew → flown
- Draw → drew → drawn
- Know → knew → known
- Throw → threw → thrown
Advanced Irregular Verbs (51-75)
Mastering these separates top candidates:
- Bear → bore → borne
- Tear → tore → torn
- Swear → swore → sworn
- Bind → bound → bound
- Wind → wound → wound
- Grind → ground → ground
- Shine → shone → shone
- Strike → struck → struck/stricken
- Wake → woke → woken
- Shake → shook → shaken
- Bite → bit → bitten
- Hide → hid → hidden
- Slide → slid → slid
- Spin → spun → spun
- Win → won → won
- Dig → dug → dug
- Hang → hung → hung
- Stick → stuck → stuck
- Swing → swung → swung
- Spring → sprang → sprung
- Cling → clung → clung
- Sting → stung → stung
- Stink → stank → stunk
- Shrink → shrank → shrunk
- Slay → slew → slain
How to Memorize Irregular Verbs Effectively
1. Pattern Recognition
While irregular verbs don't follow regular rules, many follow similar patterns:
"I-A-U" Pattern:
- sing → sang → sung
- ring → rang → rung
- drink → drank → drunk
- swim → swam → swum
Same Past & Past Participle:
- make → made → made
- find → found → found
- have → had → had
"Ew" Pattern:
- blow → blew → blown
- fly → flew → flown
- know → knew → known
- grow → grew → grown
Learning patterns makes memorization 3-4x faster than rote learning.
2. Daily Practice (10 Minutes)
Week 1-2: Focus on 25 most common verbs
Week 3-4: Add 25 more (total 50)
Week 5-6: Complete final 25 (total 75)
Week 7-8: Review and practice all 75
3. Sentence Creation
Don't just memorize the forms. Use them in sentences:
- ❌ Weak: "sing, sang, sung"
- ✅ Strong: "I sang in the choir yesterday. I have sung there for years."
4. Quiz Games
Make it interactive:
- Fill in the blank: "Yesterday, I _____ (go) to the park."
- Spot the error: "She has went to school." (Wrong! Should be "gone")
- Conjugation race: How many irregular verbs can you correctly conjugate in 2 minutes?
5. Visual Reminders
Print our cheat sheet poster and hang it where your child studies. Passive exposure helps!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Errors We See Constantly:
- "I have went" → Correct: "I have gone"
- "She has drank" → Correct: "She has drunk"
- "He has ran" → Correct: "He has run"
- "They have broke" → Correct: "They have broken"
- "The bell rung" → Correct: "The bell rang"
Tip: If you're using "has" or "have," you need the past participle (third column), not past simple (second column).
Get the Complete 75-Verb Cheat Sheet
All 75 Irregular Verbs Organized by Pattern
Easy-to-scan format showing base, past, and past participle forms
Example Sentences for Each Verb
See every verb used correctly in context
Printable A3 Poster
Colorful, large-format poster for wall or desk
Practice Exercises with Answers
20 exercises testing different verb forms
Quick Reference Cards
Portable cards for revision on-the-go
Common Mistakes Guide
Learn which errors to avoid in exams
8-Week Learning Schedule
Structured plan to master all 75 verbs
Instant Digital Download
Print as many copies as you need
Get All 75 Verbs + Exercises (£3.99)
Everything your child needs to master irregular verbs for 11+ success. Printable poster, exercises, and reference cards.
Why This Matters for 11+ Success
For just £3.99, eliminate a common weakness that costs students marks. Less than the cost of a coffee—but with lasting impact on your child's English skills.
Parent Testimonials
"My daughter kept mixing up 'drank' and 'drunk.' The poster on her wall fixed that in two weeks!"
"The pattern recognition approach was brilliant. Instead of memorizing 75 random verbs, he learned 10 patterns. So much easier!"
"Best £4 I've spent. The exercises caught errors I didn't even know she was making."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why 75 verbs? Aren't there more irregular verbs?
A: Yes, English has 200+ irregular verbs. But these 75 account for 95% of what appears in 11+ exams. Mastering these gives maximum ROI.
Q: My child already knows some of these. Is it still useful?
A: Absolutely! Even strong students make mistakes on advanced verbs (51-75). The exercises help identify gaps.
Q: How long until I see improvement?
A: With daily practice, most students show noticeable improvement within 2-3 weeks.
Q: Can I print multiple copies?
A: Yes! Print as many as you need for personal use. Great for siblings too.
Q: Do you offer refunds?
A: Yes, 30-day money-back guarantee. Not satisfied? Email us for a full refund.
Give Your Child Grammar Confidence
📥 Download 75-Verb Cheat Sheet - £3.99✅ Instant download | ✅ 30-day guarantee | ✅ Unlimited printing
Want Comprehensive English Practice?
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