In English grammar, weak verbs are common but often misunderstood. Learning about weak verbs helps improve grammar and sentence construction, especially for those aiming to write clearly and accurately.
What is a Weak Verb?
A weak verb is a verb that makes its past tense and past participle by adding a regular ending, usually:
- “-ed” (e.g., walk → walked)
- “-d” (e.g., love → loved)
- “-t” (e.g., burn → burnt in British English)
Unlike strong verbs, which change their middle sounds to form the past tense (like sing → sang), weak verbs are more predictable. This regular pattern makes weak verbs easier to learn and use in sentences because they don’t need special changes.
Types of Weak Verbs
Weak Verbs with Added Endings (“-d,” “-ed,” or “-t”)
These verbs create their past tense and past participle by simply adding “-d,” “-ed,” or “-t” to the base form, with no change in the vowel sound.
| Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| cook | cooked | has cooked | regular verb |
| walk | walked | has walked | regular verb |
| start | started | has started | regular verb |
Weak Verbs with Added Endings and Vowel Change
These verbs add “-d” or “-t” and also change the vowel sound in the past tense forms.
| Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| feel | felt | has felt | irregular verb |
| keep | kept | has kept | irregular verb |
| build | built | has built | irregular verb |
Weak Verbs with Shortened Vowel Sounds
In this type, the verbs keep the “-d” or “-t” ending, but the vowel sound becomes shorter in the past forms.
| Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| bleed | bled | has bled | irregular verb |
| lead | led | has led | irregular verb |
| read | read | has read | irregular verb |
Weak Verbs with No Change in Form
These verbs have identical forms in the base, past, and past participle.
| Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| cut | cut | has cut | irregular verb |
| set | set | has set | irregular verb |
| hit | hit | has hit | irregular verb |
Examples of Common Weak Verbs
Here are some frequently used weak verbs in English, with details on whether each one is a regular or irregular verb.
| Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| love | loved | has loved | regular verb |
| play | played | has played | regular verb |
| creep | crept | has crept | irregular verb |
| shoot | shot | has shot | irregular verb |
| put | put | has put | irregular verb |
The term “weak verb” includes all regular verbs, as well as many irregular verbs that form the past tense with minor changes or no changes at all.
Regular Verbs vs. Weak Verbs
A regular verb is a type of weak verb, but the terms “regular verb” and “weak verb” do not mean the same thing. Understanding the difference can help you learn English grammar better.
- Weak verbs make their past tense with regular endings, like “-ed”. This group includes all regular verbs and some irregular verbs.
- Regular verbs always add “-d” or “-ed” to make their past forms. But not all weak verbs are regular—some weak verbs have small differences.
The terms “irregular verb” and “strong verb” are also not the same:
- Strong verbs change their vowel sounds when they form the past tense (like “sing” to “sang”).
- Irregular verbs can be either weak or strong, depending on whether they follow regular endings or not.
Weak verbs are essential in English because they make past tenses easy to form and understand. By adding an “-ed” ending, weak verbs provide a consistent way to express past actions. With regular verbs as the most common examples, understanding weak verbs can make English grammar simpler and more accessible for all learners.
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