Grammar Lesson:
Principal Parts of Verbs
Principal Parts of Verbs
There are four principal parts of a verb:
1. infinitive (the base form)
2. present participle
3. past
4. past participle
Infinitive/base
Present Participle
Past
Past Participle
(to) live
(is) living
lived
(have) lived
(to) run
(is) running
ran
(have) run
Get
your
colors
ready!
Principal Parts of Regular Verbs
O All verbs form the present participle in the same way:
add –ing to the infinitive/base form.
O A regular verb forms its past and past participle by
adding –d or –ed to its infinitive/base form.
Infinitive/base
Present Participle
Past
Past Participle
(to) live
(is) living
lived
(have) lived
(to) fix
(is) fixing
fixed
(have) fixed
(to) plan
(is) planning
planned
(have) planned
Principal Parts of Irregular Verbs
O All verbs form the present participle in the same way:
add –ing to the infinitive/base form.
O An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some way
other than by adding –d or –ed...
O You might change vowels, change consonants, change vowels
and consonants, or change nothing.
Infinitive/base
Present Participle
Past
Past Participle
(to) sing
(is) singing
sang
(have) sung
(to) lend
(is) lending
lent
(have) lent
(to) buy
(is) buying
bought
(have) bought
(to) cost
(is) costing
cost
(have) cost
What column is the short cut
to irregular vs. regular?
Infinitive/base
Present
Participle
Past
Past Participle
(to) fix
(is) fixing
fixed
(have) fixed
(to) plan
(is) planning
planned
(have) planned
(to) live
(is) living
lived
(have) lived
(to) sing
(is) singing
sang
(have) sung
(to) lend
(is) lending
lent
(have) lent
(to) buy
(is) buying
bought
(have) bought
(to) cost
(is) costing
cost
(have) cost
Principal Parts Chart
Try two on your own…
To drink
To talk
Is the verb
regular or
irregular?
Infinitive/base
Present
Participle
Past
Past Participle
(to) drink
(is) drinking
drank
(have) drunk
irregular
(to) talk
(is) talking
talked
(have) talked
regular