Blog
English learning tips, guides, and news from WELE
Search results for "regular verb" (23 posts)
Clear
The Past Tense of Help Is Helped — And You Can Barely Hear It
Help is a regular verb, so its past tense is helped — but the t at the end drops in most sentences, and the tense has to be carried by something else.
Dived or Dove? The Past Tense of Dive Is Turning Irregular
The past tense of dive is dived, and Americans also say dove. This is a rare case that goes against the trend — a regular verb carving out its own irregular form.
The Past Tense of Finish Is Finished: The /t/ Ending, and When It Sounds Just Like "Finish It"
Finish is a regular verb — both the simple past and the past participle are finished. The hard part is the final /t/: it tends to disappear, and it tends to get mistaken for the word it.
The Past Tense of Cry Is Cried: The Y-to-IED Rule and the Cried/Tried Mix-Up
Cry is a regular verb — the simple past and the past participle are both cried. The hard part is the /d/ ending, which lasts just one beat, and the fact that cried runs straight into tried when you hear it.
The Past Tense of Ask Is Asked — But the Final Consonant Cluster Is the Hard Part
Ask is a regular verb — both the simple past and the past participle are asked. The hard part is the final three-consonant cluster, which even native speakers don't fully pronounce.
The Past Tense of "Answer" Is "Answered": The Silent W and the Vanishing /d/
Answer is a regular verb — both the simple past and past participle are answered. The hard part is the /d/ ending, which gets swallowed before almost any consonant when native speakers talk fast.
Past Tense of Start: When "-ed" Really Adds a Syllable
Start is a regular verb — the simple past and past participle are both started. It's one of the few verbs where the -ed ending actually adds a syllable, and the reason is straightforward.
The Past Tense of 'Open' Is 'Opened' — and the Final D Almost Disappears in Fast Speech
Open is a regular verb, the past simple and the past participle are both opened. The tricky part is the d stuck right after the n, so there's almost no sound to it, and the pair was open vs. was opened.
The Past Tense of Jump: Jumped, the /mpt/ Cluster, and Meanings That Aren't About Jumping
Jump is a regular verb — the past simple and the past participle are both jumped. The hard part is three consonants stacked at the end of the word, and the figurative meanings that account for most of the times you actually run into it.
The Past Tense of 'Dance' Is 'Danced': Why -ed Sounds Like /t/ and Consonant Clusters Drop
Dance is a regular verb — the simple past and past participle are both danced. The hard part is the three-consonant cluster at the end of the word, and the vowel that British and American accents pronounce completely differently.
The Past Tense of Work Is Worked: The R-Colored Vowel, and Worked vs. Walked
Work is a regular verb — the past simple and past participle are both worked. The hard part is the r-colored vowel, and telling worked apart from walked.
The Past Tense of Watch Is Watched — One Syllable, Right Where It Collides With Washed
Watch is a regular verb — the simple past and past participle are both watched, one syllable. The hard part is where it collides with washed, a genuine tongue-twister.
The Past Tense of Plan: Why It's Spelled Planned with Two N's
Plan is a regular verb — both the simple past and past participle are planned. The tricky part is the doubling rule for the n, and the way the /nd/ cluster drops out in fast speech.
The Past Tense of Move: Why 'Moved' Is One Syllable, and Why the O Sounds Like /uː/
Move is a regular verb — both the simple past and past participle are moved. The hard part is the /uː/ vowel and the /vd/ cluster that Vietnamese ears tend to drop.
The Past Tense of Laugh Is Laughed: When GH Sounds Like F, and the Laughed/Left Trap
Laugh is a regular verb — both the simple past and past participle are laughed. The hard part is the gh spelled as /f/, and how laughed collides with left in fast speech.
Listen Is Regular: Listened, the Silent T, and the Vanishing -ed Ending
Listen is a regular verb — past tense and past participle are both listened. The hard part is the silent t and the /d/ ending that dies right before "to," taking the sentence's tense down with it.
Past Tense of Enjoy Is Enjoyed: Why -ed Sounds Like /d/, Plus the V-ing Rule After It
Enjoy is a regular verb, and its past tense is enjoyed. The hard part is the /d/ ending that disappears before a consonant, and the rule that enjoy must be followed by V-ing.
The Past Tense of Cook Is Cooked: The Disappearing /t/ Sound, and Why a Cooker Isn't a Cook
Cook is a regular verb — the simple past and the past participle are both cooked. The hard part is the /kt/ consonant cluster at the end, which Vietnamese ears almost always drop.
The Past Tense of Want Is Wanted: The /ɪd/ Ending, Want vs. Won't, and When Wanted Sounds Just Like Want It
Want is a regular verb; both the simple past and the past participle are wanted. The tricky parts are the /ɪd/ ending that often drops, the want/won't pair, and when wanted sounds exactly like want it.
The Past Tense of Walk Is Walked: Silent L, the /kt/ Ending, and the Walk vs. Work Trap
Walk is a regular verb — both the simple past and the past participle are walked. The tricky parts are the silent l, the final consonant cluster that often gets dropped, and the walk-work pair that sounds almost identical.