Learning the irregular verbs in English isn’t easy and can be incredibly boring. This post is here to give you some advice to make it easier and a little bit more fun.
Firstly, know what type of learner you are. Do you learn better by copying things? listening to music? playing games? or all three? Does how you organise vocabulary make it easier to learn? Have a look at some of the suggestions below to find something that suits your style of learning.
Learning by rote
If you are going to learn the verbs from the verbs list, there are ways to make this easier. Here are two downladable lists of verbs with the 3 columns and their Spanish translations, however they have distinct differences that can make it easier to learn.
In the first, the verbs are given 1 of 3 colours. Green means that the verb does not change in any of the columns. For example, HIT – HIT – HIT. Yellow means it changes once. In the case of BECOME – BECAME – BECOME. Red means it changes in all three columns, as in FLY – FLEW – FLOWN.
Download the list here : Irregular Verbs List
The second list groups the verbs in a similar way to the first, however it puts all the verbs tegether in their similar groups. You can learn them as a block.
Download the list here : Irregular Verbs in groups
Another good piece of advice for this type of learning is to print out the list and stick it on the wall next to your toilet in the bathroom. Don’t take your phone into the loo, instead read through the verbs every time you ‘go’ and you will find that you will learn them very quickly without much effort.
Learning with music
There’s a teacher on YouTube that has made a rap song of the verbs. It’s a bit corny, but if you find learning songs and lyrics easy, then maybe it’s something you can try.
Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P5StOplPbM
Learning with games
On my other website for teaching materials you can find some games that are designed to reinforce irregular verb learning. The first is called ‘VERBO’ and is a verbs version of ‘UNO’.
Verbo : https://classroomgames.net/2023/10/15/verbo-an-irregular-verbs-card-game-based-on-uno/
The second is called ‘Tessalation Station’ and is a version of a game called P for Pizza that you can use to practice on your own or play with friends.
Tessellation Station : https://classroomgames.net/2023/11/05/tesssellation-station/
Thirdly, there is Tenses Rummy, a ‘happy families’ type game to play with friends.
Tenses Rummy : https://classroomgames.net/2023/02/03/tenses-rummy/
You can download these games, print and laminate them and use them again and again.