We have learned that regular verbs of the weak conjugation form their past tense and perfect participle by adding ed or d to the present tense form.
Point out how the following verbs form their past tense and perfect participle:
| Present. | Past. | Perfect Participle. | ||
| mean, | meant, | meant. | ||
| sleep, | slept, | slept. | ||
| say, | said, | said. | ||
| cost, | cost, | cost. |
In some verbs the ed or d of the past tense is sounded like t, and in many cases the spelling has changed to t. A few verbs shorten the vowel of the present; as, feel, felt, felt. Other verbs of this conjugation change the vowel before adding d; as, tell, told, told; and a number that end in t or d make no change; as, set, set, set.
A LIST OF THE IRREGULAR VERBS OF THE WEAK CONJUGATION.
| Present. | Past. | Perf. Part. | ||
| bend, | bent,[[1]] | bent. | ||
| bereave, | bereft,[[1]] | bereft. | ||
| beseech, | besought, | besought. | ||
| bleed, | bled, | bled. | ||
| breed, | bred, | bred. | ||
| bring, | brought, | brought. | ||
| build, | built,[[1]] | built. | ||
| burn, | burnt,[[1]] | burnt. | ||
| burst, | burst, | burst. | ||
| buy, | bought, | bought. | ||
| cast, | cast, | cast. | ||
| catch, | caught, | caught. | ||
| cleave (adhere), | clave,[[1]] | cleaved. | ||
| clothe, | clad,[[1]] | clad. | ||
| cost, | cost, | cost. | ||
| creep, | crept, | crept. | ||
| cut, | cut, | cut. | ||
| dare, | durst,[[1]] | dared. | ||
| deal, | dealt, | dealt. | ||
| dream, | dreamt,[[1]] | dreamt. | ||
| dwell, | dwelt,[[1]] | dwelt. | ||
| feed, | fed, | fed. | ||
| feel, | felt, | felt. | ||
| flee, | fled, | fled. | ||
| gild, | gilt,[[1]] | gilt. | ||
| gird, | girt,[[1]] | girt. | ||
| have, | had, | had. | ||
| hear, | heard, | heard. | ||
| hit, | hit, | hit. | ||
| hurt, | hurt, | hurt. | ||
| keep, | kept, | kept. | ||
| kneel, | knelt, | knelt. | ||
| knit, | knit,[[1]] | knit. | ||
| lay, | laid, | laid. | ||
| lead, | led, | led. | ||
| lean, | leant,[[1]] | leant. | ||
| leap, | leapt,[[1]] | leapt. | ||
| learn, | learnt,[[1]] | learnt. | ||
| leave, | left, | left. | ||
| lend, | lent, | lent. | ||
| let, | let, | let. | ||
| light, | lit,[[1]] | lit. | ||
| lose, | lost, | lost. | ||
| make, | made, | made. | ||
| mean, | meant, | meant. | ||
| meet, | met, | met. | ||
| pay, | paid, | paid. | ||
| pen (enclose), | pent,[[1]] | pent. | ||
| put, | put, | put. | ||
| quit, | quit,[[1]] | quit. | ||
| read, | read, | read. | ||
| rend, | rent, | rent. | ||
| rid, | rid, | rid. | ||
| say, | said, | said. | ||
| seek, | sought, | sought. | ||
| sell, | sold, | sold. | ||
| send, | sent, | sent. | ||
| set, | set, | set. | ||
| shed, | shed, | shed. | ||
| shoe, | shod, | shod. | ||
| shoot, | shot, | shot. | ||
| shut, | shut, | shut. | ||
| sleep, | slept, | slept. | ||
| smell, | smelt,[[1]] | smelt. | ||
| speed, | sped, | sped. | ||
| spell, | spelt,[[1]] | spelt. | ||
| spend, | spent, | spent. | ||
| spill, | spilt,[[1]] | spilt. | ||
| spit, | spit, | spit. | ||
| split, | split, | split. | ||
| spoil, | spoilt,[[1]] | spoilt. | ||
| spread, | spread, | spread. | ||
| sweat, | sweat, | sweat. | ||
| sweep, | swept, | swept. | ||
| teach, | taught, | taught. | ||
| tell, | told, | told. | ||
| think, | thought, | thought. | ||
| thrust, | thrust, | thrust. | ||
| weep, | wept, | wept. | ||
| wet, | wet,[[1]] | wet. | ||
| whet, | whet,[[1]] | whet. | ||
| work, | wrought,[[1]] | wrought. |
| [1] | Sometimes conjugated regularly. |