A2business

Irregular Verbs - Business English

Type your answer in each blank and press Enter to check it, or use Check answers below. A cue in (brackets) is the word to put in the right form.

Most English verbs are regular: you add -ed to make the past simple and past participle (work, worked, worked). Irregular verbs do not follow this rule, so you have to learn each one. Many of the most common verbs in business English are irregular, which is why they matter so much. Each irregular verb has three key forms: the base (go), the past simple (went) and the past participle (gone). Use the past simple for finished actions ("I sent the report yesterday"), and the past participle after have or after be in the passive ("We have met before", "The contract was signed on Friday"). Three correct examples: "She wrote to the client this morning." "I have spoken to the supplier and the price is fixed." "Our targets were set by the board." A common pitfall is mixing the two past forms: say "I have done it" or "I did it", never "I have did it" or "I done it". Another is wrongly adding -ed: the past of "buy" is "bought", not "buyed", and the past of "cost" is "cost". The best approach is to learn the three forms together as a set and practise them in real sentences, which is exactly what the exercises below let you do.

Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.

  1. I (write) the monthly report yesterday.
  2. The manager (speak) to the client about the budget this morning.
  3. We (meet) our new partners in London last week.
  4. He (send) the email to the CEO an hour ago.
  5. They (buy) new computers for the marketing team last month.
  6. She (give) a great presentation during the meeting.
  7. The team (make) a big mistake in the final calculation.
  8. I (see) the contract on your desk this morning.
  9. We (get) a lot of positive feedback from the customers.
  10. Mr. Smith (leave) the office early yesterday afternoon.
  11. You (tell) the truth about the project delays.
  12. The company (become) very successful last year.
  13. They (bring) the documents to the negotiation room.
  14. I (understand) the instructions perfectly.
  15. She (sell) many products during the trade fair.
  16. We (find) a solution to the technical problem.
  17. He (keep) all the client files in a secure folder.
  18. The board (choose) a new director last Friday.
  19. I (read) the entire proposal before the meeting.
  20. They (run) the new software test yesterday.
  21. We (pay) the invoice on time.
  22. She (know) the answer to the client's question.
  23. The technician (build) a new prototype last month.
  24. He (lose) his briefcase at the airport.
  25. I (think) about your proposal all night.

Common questions

What are the three forms of an irregular verb, and when do I use each one?

Every irregular verb has a base form, a past simple and a past participle, for example go, went, gone. Use the base after to or modals ("I need to go"). Use the past simple for finished past actions ("I went on Monday"). Use the past participle after have or in the passive ("I have gone", "It was sent today").

How is the past simple of an irregular verb different from a regular verb?

A regular verb adds -ed: "call" becomes "called". An irregular verb changes its spelling instead, so there is no -ed to add. For example "send" becomes "sent", "buy" becomes "bought", and "meet" becomes "met". Never write "sended" or "buyed". Because there is no rule, you simply learn each irregular form by heart.

Why do I say "I have written" and not "I have wrote"?

After "have" you must use the past participle, not the past simple. For "write", the past simple is "wrote" and the past participle is "written". So you say "I wrote the email" (past simple) but "I have written the email" (present perfect). Saying "I have wrote" mixes the two forms and is a very common error to avoid.