Master Past Simple Irregular Verbs: A1 English Grammar Guide — A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

Master Past Simple Irregular Verbs: A1 English Grammar Guide

Raúl Maguiña

Fondatore di Langcom | Esaminatore per Cambridge e SIELE

Settembre 22, 2026

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Past simple irregular verbs are special verbs that change their form completely to talk about actions that happened in the past. Unlike regular verbs that add -ed (like walked oppure played), irregular verbs have unique past forms. For example, the past simple of go è went, not goed. These verbs are very common in English, so learning them is essential for A1 learners to describe past events, tell stories, and understand everyday conversations. You will use them to talk about things you did yesterday, last week, or a long time ago. They are a core part of basic English communication.

What Are Past Simple Irregular Verbs?

The past simple tense is for actions that started and finished in the past. We use it to talk about things that are completely over.

Most verbs in English are ‘regular’. This means they add -ed to the base form to make the past simple. For example, walk becomes walked.

  • However, many common verbs are ‘irregular’. They do not follow the -ed rule.
  • Instead, they change their form in a special way. For example, eat becomes ate, e see becomes saw.
  • You need to learn these special forms because they are very common in daily English.

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How Do We Use Irregular Verbs in Affirmative Sentences?

For affirmative (positive) sentences, we simply use the past simple irregular form of the verb.

  • The form is the same for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
  • You just need to know the correct past simple form for each irregular verb.

Guarda questi esempi:

  • I went to the park yesterday. (From go)
  • She ate pizza last night. (From eat)
  • They saw a movie. (From see)

How Do We Use Irregular Verbs in Negative Sentences and Questions?

When we make negative sentences or questions in the past simple, we use the auxiliary verb did.

  • For negative sentences, we use did not (oppure didn’t) + the forma base of the main verb.
  • Remember: the main verb goes back to its original form. It does not stay in the past simple form.

For questions, we use Did + subject + the forma base of the main verb.

  • Again, the main verb is in its base form, not the past simple form.
Common A1 Irregular Verbs
Base Form Passato semplice
be was / were
have had
go went
see saw
make made
eat ate
drink drank
come came
get got
take took
write wrote
read read
say said

Esempi

  • I went to the store.
  • She had a big breakfast.
  • They saw their friends.
  • We made a cake.
  • He didn’t go to work yesterday.
  • I didn’t eat lunch.
  • Did you see the news?
  • Did they have fun?

Esercitazione

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Errori comuni per chi parla spagnolo

Chi parla spagnolo a volte commette questi errori:

  • Using the past form after didn’t:
    Errato: I didn’t went to the party.
    Corretto: I didn’t go to the party. (The verb go returns to its base form.)
  • Using the past form in questions with Did:
    Errato: Did you ate breakfast?
    Corretto: Did you eat breakfast? (The verb eat returns to its base form.)
  • Dimenticare did in negatives/questions:
    Errato: I not went.
    Corretto: I didn’t go.
    Errato: You went?
    Corretto: Did you go?

Domande frequenti

What is an irregular verb in English?

An irregular verb is a verb that does not form its past simple tense by adding -ed. Instead, it changes its form in a unique way, like go becoming went.

Do all verbs have an irregular past simple form?

No, only some verbs are irregular. Many verbs are regular and simply add -ed to form their past simple, like play becoming played.

How can I learn irregular verbs?

The best way to learn irregular verbs is to practice them regularly. Start with the most common ones, use them in sentences, and review lists. You can also listen to English and read simple stories to see them in context.

Why is it important to learn irregular verbs at A1 level?

Learning irregular verbs at A1 is crucial because many of the most common verbs in English are irregular (e.g., be, have, go). You need them to talk about basic past experiences and understand simple conversations.

Lezioni correlate

Informazioni sull'autore: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña è il direttore dell’Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizzato di preparazione all’esame Cambridge English con sede a STATI UNITI D'AMERICA. Con oltre un decennio di esperienza nel campo dell'insegnamento delle lingue e delle certificazioni internazionali, ha aiutato migliaia di studenti, insegnanti e istituti scolastici in 25 paesi a ottenere le certificazioni di inglese Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL e Michigan.

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