Irregular verbs 2 (Easy)

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary. Im Finn.

Catherine

And Im Catherine.

Finn

In todays programme were talking irregular verbs.

Catherine

Yes, and as you know, there are lots of irregular verbs in English.

Finn

Lots and . Some, like write, have different forms for the past simple and past

participle: wrote and written.

Catherine

Yes and not always easy to remember all those different forms!

Finn

It's not. Today, though, were going to explain how of these verbs can be grouped

into patterns to help remember the different forms.

Catherine

Well give you lots examples…

Finn

Well have a quiz…

Catherine

…and well leave you with a top tip for learning vocabulary.

Finn

first, lets hear my interview with singer-songwriter Andrea.

Catherine

While you listen, think about this question: Who hasnt spoken Andrea for a long time?

INSERT

Finn

Hi, Andrea. Now, tell us: when did you begin to sing?

Andrea

sang in the school choir and I began to sing in bands when I was just ten.

Finn

Oh, . So how many songs have you written

Andrea

Over a hundred. I wrote one just before I drove here.

Right. And Andrea, I'm sure you have broken many mens hearts. Tell us, who was the first?

Andrea

Oh, was a boy called Marcus. I knew him at school. We grew up on the same street.

Hes not to me since we broke up.

Finn

Since you broke up, that sounds bad. Thank you for coming and to us today,

Andrea.

Andrea

Thanks for having me.

STING

Finn

And there we are. So, we asked you: hasnt spoken to Andrea for a long time?

Catherine

And the answer is: Marcus. They havent spoken since they up.

Finn

Broke is the past simple of the verb break and it belongs to our first group of . It has

the pattern break, broke, broken.

Catherine

That's right, the past simple is broke and the past participle broken.

Finn

Listen to this clip. Can you hear another verb with the same pattern? Heres a clue. The

rhymes with broken.

INSERT CLIP 1

Andrea

Oh, he was a boy called Marcus. I knew him at school. grew up on the same street.

Hes not spoken to me since we broke up.

Catherine

OK, and spoken with broken. The verb speak forms its past simple and past

participle in the same way as break.

Finn

its speak, spoke, spoken…

Catherine

And speak and break are pronounced differently although they both have e-a-k at the .

Finn

They do. Now, another verb with the same pattern is wake.

Catherine

 � so its wake, woke, woken.

 � although we spell wake, w-a-k-e---. It's not spelt e-a-k at the end. Now, in the interview,

we had other verbs with a different pattern.

Catherine

That's right, we had the past forms knew and grew. Andrea knew at school and

she grew up on the same street.

Finn

Yes. These are the past simple forms of and grow.

Catherine

So, its know, knew, known…

Finn

Grow, grew, grown…

Catherine

Another verb with this pattern is .

Finn

So its blow, blew, blown.

Catherine

So weve got two groups. The first one is verbs like speak, , spoken…

Finn

And we have in our second group, verbs like grow, grew, grown. Listen to this second

clip see if you can spot two more patterns. Heres a clue: listen to words that rhyme or

have similar .

INSERT CLIP 2

Finn

When did you begin to sing

Andrea

I sang in the school choir and I to sing in bands when I was just ten.

Finn

Oh, wow. How many songs have you written?

Andrea

a hundred. I wrote one just before I drove here.

Catherine

Did you hear the patterns begin… began and … sang?

Finn

So, this pattern is begin, began, begun…

Catherine

Exactly, and weve got sing, sang, sung…

Finn

In clip, we also had another pattern - wrote… written. So, that's the past simple and

the past participle of .

Catherine

We heard another verb with this pattern… drove, which is the past simple of drive.

Finn

And the participle is…

Finn

 � driven. So that's drive, drove, driven.

IDENT

6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning English

Catherine

now for a quiz. Ill give you two parts of a verb. You have to complete the pattern.

Ready? one: swim, swam, ______.*%_____.

Finn

….*%swum��.

Catherine

Well done if you got that right. Number two: speak, ___________, spoken.

….*%spoke��.

Catherine

Correct. Number three: ___________, wrote, written.

Finn

….*%write��.

Catherine

And thats the end of the quiz. Well if you got them right.

Finn

And now, todays top tip for learning vocabulary: combine irregular verbs with the

pattern in a short rhyme or story. The pattern of the rhyme will help you remember the

different forms.

Theres more about this at bbclearningenglishcom.. Join us again for more 6 Minute

Vocabulary.

Both

Bye!