Regular verbs are verbs that form their past and past participle forms by
adding d or ed to the base form.
Here are some spelling rules for forming the past form and the past
participle form of regular verbs:
-
For verbs ending in e, add d.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
agree | agreed | agreed |
believe | believed | believed |
cure | cured | cured |
tie | tied | tied |
-
For one-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant other than
w, x, or y, double the last consonant and add
ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
ban | banned | banned |
clot | clotted | clotted |
flip | flipped | flipped |
tag | tagged | tagged |
-
For some verbs ending in a vowel plus w, add ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
flow | flowed | flowed |
row | rowed | rowed |
gnaw | gnawed | gnawed |
paw | pawed | pawed |
Exceptions:
blow,
draw,
grow,
outgrow,
overdraw,
overthrow,
saw,
sew,
show,
sow,
strew,
throw,
withdraw.
-
For verbs ending in a vowel plus x, add ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
box | boxed | boxed |
mix | mixed | mixed |
relax | relaxed | relaxed |
-
For some verbs ending in a vowel plus y, add ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
display | displayed | displayed |
employ | employed | employed |
enjoy | enjoyed | enjoyed |
relay | relayed | relayed |
Exceptions:
buy,
gainsay,
inlay,
lay,
mislay,
overlay,
overpay,
pay,
prepay,
repay,
say,
slay,
underpay,
unsay.
-
For two-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant other than
w, x, or y, double the last consonant and add
ed when the stress is on the last syllable.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
occur | occurred | occurred |
permit | permitted | permitted |
prefer | preferred | preferred |
The last consonant is not doubled when the stress is on the first
syllable.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
cancel | canceled | canceled |
glisten | glistened | glistened |
mirror | mirrored | mirrored |
Please note that in British English, the consonant l is doubled,
even though the stress is on the first syllable.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
cancel | cancelled | cancelled |
level | levelled | levelled |
marvel | marvelled | marvelled |
ravel | ravelled | ravelled |
revel | revelled | revelled |
travel | travelled | travelled |
-
For verbs ending in a consonant plus y, change the y to
i and add ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
cry | cried | cried |
defy | defied | defied |
pity | pitied | pitied |
rely | relied | relied |
-
For verbs ending in ic, change the c to ck and
add ed.
Base Form | Past Form | Past Participle Form |
frolic | frolicked | frolicked |
mimic | mimicked | mimicked |
panic | panicked | panicked |
picnic | picnicked | picnicked |
traffic | trafficked | trafficked |