Basic Tenses: Regular Verb

This page shows the basic tenses with the regular verb work. It includes the affirmative or positive form (+), the negative form (-) and the interrogative or question form (?).

The basic structure is:

positive:	+		subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
negative:	-		subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb
question:	?		auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

These are the forms of the main verb that we use to construct the tenses:

base verb	past	past participle	present participle -ing
work	worked	worked	working

		past	present	future
SIMPLE do + base verb (except future: will + base verb)	+	I did work I worked	I do work I work	I will work
	-	I did not work	I do not work	I will not work
	?	Did I work?	Do I work?	Will I work?
SIMPLE PERFECT have + past participle	+	I had worked	I have worked	I will have worked
	-	I had not worked	I have not worked	I will not have worked
	?	Had I worked?	Have I worked?	Will I have worked?
CONTINUOUS be + ing	+	I was working	I am working	I will be working
	-	I was not working	I am not working	I will not be working
	?	Was I working?	Am I working?	Will I be working?
CONTINUOUS PERFECT have been + ing	+	I had been working	I have been working	I will have been working
	-	I had not been working	I have not been working	I will not have been working
	?	Had I been working?	Have I been working?	Will I have been working?

Regular Verbs List

There are thousands of regular verbs in English. This is a list of 600 of the more common regular verbs. Note that there are some spelling variations in American English (for example, "practise" becomes "practice" in American English).

accept add admire admit advise afford agree alert

allow amuse analyse announce annoy answer apologise appear

applaud appreciate approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask

attach attack attempt attend attract avoid

back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe battle beam

beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink blot blush boast

boil bolt bomb book bore borrow bounce bow box brake

brake branch breathe bruise brush bubble bump burn bury buzz

calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase cheat check cheer chew

choke chop claim clap clean clear clip close coach coil collect colour comb command communicate

compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse connect consider consist contain continue copy correct

cough count cover crack crash crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle

dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay delight

deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop disagree disappear

disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt drag drain dream

dress drip drop drown drum dry dust

earn educate embarrass employ empty encourage

end enjoy enter entertain escape examine

excite excuse exercise exist expand expect

explain explode extend

face fade fail fancy fasten fax fear fence

fetch file fill film fire fit fix flap

flash float flood flow flower fold follow fool

force form found frame frighten fry

gather gaze glow glue

grab grate grease greet

grin grip groan guarantee

guard guess guide

hammer hand handle hang happen harass

harm hate haunt head heal heap

heat help hook hop hope hover

hug hum hunt hurry

identify ignore imagine impress improve include

increase influence inform inject injure instruct

intend interest interfere interrupt introduce invent

invite irritate itch

jail jam

jog join

joke judge

juggle jump

kick kill

kiss kneel

knit knock

knot

label land last laugh launch

learn level license lick lie

lighten like list listen live

load lock long look love

man manage march mark marry match mate

matter measure meddle melt memorise mend mess up

milk mine miss mix moan moor mourn

move muddle mug multiply murder

nail name

need nest

nod note

notice number

obey object observe

obtain occur offend

offer open order

overflow owe own

pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal peel peep perform

permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play please plug point poke polish

pop possess post pour practise pray preach precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend

prevent prick print produce program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push

question

queue

race radiate rain raise reach realise receive recognise record reduce reflect

refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax release rely remain remember remind

remove repair repeat replace reply report reproduce request rescue retire return

rhyme rinse risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush

sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter

shiver shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak

soothe sound spare spark sparkle spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start stay steer step stir stitch

stop store strap strengthen stretch strip stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer suggest suit supply support suppose surprise surround suspect suspend switch

talk tame tap taste tease telephone tempt terrify test thank

thaw tick tickle tie time tip tire touch tour tow

trace trade train transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip

trot trouble trust try tug tumble turn twist type

undress unfasten

unite unlock

unpack untidy

use

vanish

visit

wail wait walk wander want warm warn wash

waste watch water wave weigh welcome whine whip

whirl whisper whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder

work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle

x-ray

yawn

yell

zip

zoom