No Shortcuts with Irregular Verbs

It isn’t just the disadvantaged or disaffected among us who struggle with irregular verbs. A political insider with his own long-running TV show keeps saying “has ran.”

Fifty years ago a textbook called Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition said: “Irregular verbs … cause the greatest single problem in standard verb usage because there is no single rule that applies to them. A student of our language must know the principal parts of every irregular verb … and the only way to know them is to memorize them.”

We use these verbs all the time. We might as well get them right. See how you do on the irregular-verb quiz that follows. The answers are directly below the test.

 

Irregular Verb Pop Quiz

1. It turned out that being ___ solid actually saved his life.

A) frozen
B) froze
C) freezed

2. Barbara ___ for the faces of a family never seen.

A) weeped
B) weapt
C) wept
D) weaped

3. I saved him from getting ___.

A) drownded
B) drowned
C) drownd
D) drowneded

4. His actions have ___ to be contrary to his words.

A) proven
B) proved
C) A and B are both correct

5. Leon was ___ down by the tormenting weight of his burdens.

A) drug
B) drugged
C) drag
D) dragged

6 . She kept wearing it and wearing it until it was all ___ out.

A) wore
B) worn
C) A and B are both correct

7. It turned out we had always ___ the answer.

A) knewn
B) knew
C) knowed
D) known

8. The book was found ___ open on the floor.

A) lieing
B) laying
C) lying
D) lane

9. Why hasn’t someone ___ this by me sooner?

A) run
B) ran
C) running
D) ranned

10. We all thought Alfred had already ___ dinner.

A) ate
B) eaten
C) A and B are both correct

 

ANSWERS

1: A) frozen

2: C) wept

3: B) drowned

4: C) A and B are both correct

5: D) dragged

6: B) worn

7: D) known

8: C) lying

9: A) run

10: B) eaten

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