Irregular past verbs: went, ate, saw and did
Short answer: Some common verbs have a special past form instead of -ed: go → went, eat → ate, see → saw, have → had, make → made. Use the special form in positive sentences. After did or didn’t, use the plain verb: I didn’t go. Did you go? Do not say goed or eated.
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At a glance
| Plain verb | Past | Plain verb | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| go | went | buy | bought |
| eat | ate | take | took |
| see | saw | give | gave |
| have | had | write | wrote |
| make | made | come | came |
| run | ran | say | said |
In short
- Some past forms are special: went, ate, saw, had, made, came, ran.
- After did and didn't use the plain action word.
- Do not say goed or eated.
What is the rule for “Past simple: irregular verbs and did”?
The rule
Some past forms are special. After did or didn't, the action word is plain.
How it looks
go → went · eat → ate · see → saw · have → had · make → made · come → came · run → ran · did / didn't + plain action word
What it means
They tell what happened, and let us ask or say no about the past.
When to use it
Say what happened and ask about it.
How it works
- Learn the common irregular verbs one by one. They are very frequent, so practice pays off.
- In a positive sentence use the past form: We went to the zoo.
- For a question or a negative, use did or didn’t and the plain verb: Did you go? I didn’t go.
- Check each new verb in a list of irregular verbs. Do not guess an -ed form.
Examples of “Past simple: irregular verbs and did”
- We went to the zoo.
go → went. - I saw a rainbow.
see → saw. - Did you go to school?
Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. - She didn't eat the cake.
didn't + the plain eat. - She bought a new bag yesterday.
buy → bought. - I wrote a letter to my friend.
write → wrote. - Did they come to the party?
did + the plain verb come. - He didn’t say anything.
didn’t + the plain verb say.
Common mistakes with “Past simple: irregular verbs and did”
I goed to school.→ I went to school.
go has a special past form: went.I didn't went home.→ I didn't go home.
After didn't use the plain action word.I not went.→ I didn't go.
Use didn't, not not.She buyed a hat.→ She bought a hat.
buy is irregular: bought.Did you went there?→ Did you go there?
After did, use the plain verb.
Exceptions: watch out
- goed, eated
Do not add -ed to these words: go → went, not goed. eat → ate, not eated.
Regular and irregular past forms
Regular verbs follow one rule. Irregular verbs change in different ways and need to be learned.
| Type | Plain | Past |
|---|---|---|
| regular | walk | walked |
| regular | play | played |
| irregular | go | went |
| irregular | eat | ate |
| same form | put | put |
See also: Past simple: regular -ed
Check yourself
- Fill the gap: “We ___ to the zoo yesterday.” (go)
Show the answer
went go → went.
- Fill the gap: “Did you ___ the film?” (see)
Show the answer
see After did, use the plain verb.
- Fix: “I eated an apple.”
Show the answer
I ate an apple. eat → ate.
How to practice “Past simple: irregular verbs and did”
The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.
- Practice lesson: Past simple: irregular verbs and did
Questions
How many irregular verbs are there?
Around 200 are in use, and about 50 are very common. Start with the ones you hear every day.
Why do irregular verbs exist?
They come from older forms of English. Today they are the most frequent verbs, so they have kept their old forms.
Do irregular verbs change for he, she and it?
In the past, no. I went, she went and they went are all the same.
More Connecting Ideas rules
- Joining words: and, but, or, so: and, but, or and so join two ideas of the same kind.
- because: giving reasons: because gives the reason. It answers the question Why?
- there is / there are: there is tells that one thing is in a place. there are tells that many things are in a place.
- Past: was and were: was and were tell about the past. Use was with I, he, she and it. Use were with you, we and they.
- Past simple: regular -ed: To talk about the past, most action words add -ed. It is the same for every person.
- Comparing two things: -er and more … than: To compare two things, short words add -er and we say than. Long words use more … than.
Used in these writing topics
Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G3: Connecting Ideas. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30
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