is, I might have been, and their combination will furnish, “I might have been loved,” the part required. The union, therefore, of the verb to be, and the perfect participle, form the passive verb; whilst the union of to be with the present participle, forms an active verb in the progressive form. For the formation of the passive verb, it is absolutely essential to know the perfect participle thereof; and as this is, in many instances, different in the irregular verb from the past tense, it is necessary that the student of the English language should make himself acquainted with the perfect participles of such irregular verbs as are in frequent use. To say, "The exercise was began,” is improper, began being the past tense of the verb to begin. The verb to be is never united with the past tense, but only with the perfect participle, which, in the case of the verb to begin, is begun; the expression, therefore, should be, “ The exercise was begun.” Very many gross blunders in speaking and writing are continually made, from either a total ignorance or neglect of this principle. A list of the conjugation of irregular verbs is subjoined. A regular verb is one that forms its past tense and past participle by adding d or ed to the present; as Love, loved, loved. An irregular verb is one that does not form both its past tense and past participle by adding d or ed to the present; as, was arose Present. Past. abode awoke Bear, to bring forth bore, bare Bear, to carry bore, bare Beat beat Begin began Bend bent Bereave bereft ech besought Bid (for-) bad, băde Past Participle. Bind (un) Present. Past. Bite bit Bleed bled Blow blew Break broke Breed bred Bring brought Build (re-) built Burst burst Buy bought Cast cast Catch caught Chide chid Choose chose clung Clothe clothed Come (be) came Cost cost Crow crew Creep crept Cut cut Dare, to venture durst Dare, to challenge dared Deal dealt Dig dug or digged Do (mis-, un-) did Draw (with-) drew Drink drank Drive drove Dwell dwelt or dwelled Eat eat or ate Fall fell Feed fed Feel felt Fight fought Find found Flee fled flung flew Past Participle. bitten, bit bled blown broken bred brought built burst bought cast caught chidden or chid chosen cleaved cloven or cleft clung clad come cost crowed crept cut dared dared dealt dug or digged done drawn drunk or drunken driven dwelt or dwelled eaten fallen fed felt fought found fled flung flown Fling Fly given graved ground · Present. Past. Past Participle. Forsake forsook forsaken Freeze froze frozen Get got gotten or got Gild gilt or gilded gilt or gilded Gird girt or girded girt or girded Give gave Go went gone Grave graven or graved Grind ground Grow grew grown Hang, to execute hanged hanged Hang, to suspend hung hung Have had had Hear heard heard Heave heaved or hove heaved Help helped helped Hew hewed hewn or hewed Hide hid hidden or hid Hit hit hit Hold hela held Hurt hurt hurt Keep kept kept Kneel knelt knelt Knit knit or knitted knit or knitted Know knew known Lade laded laden Lay laid laid Lead led led Learn learned or learnt learned or learnt Leave left left Lend lent lent Let let let Lie, to lie down lay lain or lien Lift lifted or lift lifted or lift Light lighted or lit lighted or lit Load loaded loaden or loaded Lose lost lost Make made made Mean meant or meaned meant or meaned put rose Present. Past. Perfect Participle. met met melted melted or molten mowed mown or mowed paid paid pent rapped or rapt read rent rent rid rid rode or rid ridden or rid rung or rang rung risen rived riven rotted rotted or rotten ran run sawed sawn or sawed said said saw seen sought sought seethed sodden sold sold sent sent set set shook shaken shaped shaped or shapen shaved shaved or shaven sheared or shore shorn shed shed shewed or showed shewn or shown shone or shined shone or shined shod shod shot shot shred shred shrunk or shrank shrunk shrived or shrove shrived or shriven shut sung or sang sung shut Present. Past. Perfect Participle. sunk or sank sunk or sunken sat or sate sitten or sat slew slain slept slept slidden smitten Sown spoke or spake spoken sped spilt sped spent spent spilt span or spun spun spat or spit spitten or spit split split spread spread sprang or sprung sprung stood stood stole stolen stuck stuck stung stung stank or stunk stunk strode or strid stridden struck struck, stricken strang or strung strung strove striven strewed strewed, or strowed strown, strowed swore or sware sworn sweat sweat swept swept swelled swollen swam or swum swum swang or swung swung took taken taught taught tore torn told told |