How to use the verb forms tool
Enter a verb in its base form, for example “write”. You can enter several verbs at once. The table shows five forms and whether the verb is regular or irregular.
The five verb forms
- Base form (V1): write
- Third person singular: writes
- Past simple (V2): wrote
- Past participle (V3): written
- -ing form (V4): writing
Regular and irregular verbs
Regular verbs add -ed for the past simple and past participle (walk, walked, walked). Irregular verbs change in other ways (go, went, gone). The tool includes over a hundred common irregular verbs and applies spelling rules for the rest: stop becomes stopped, study becomes studied and make becomes making.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use the past participle?
Use it with have or has (I have written), with had (I had written) and in the passive voice (it was written).
Why do some verbs double the last letter?
Short verbs that end in consonant-vowel-consonant double the last letter before -ed or -ing: stop, stopped, stopping.
Are there verbs with two possible forms?
Yes. Some verbs have two accepted forms, such as learned / learnt. The tool shows both.