12 Basic Grammar rules

Explain What an Irregular Verb Is

There are many different ways a verb can function irregularly, so it’s best to first explain to a student what generally counts as verbal irregularity. Regular verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns. Irregular verbs, however, deviate from these rule-governed patterns. Irregularity is really an indication of verbal uniqueness; most verbs in English express the past tense in the same way, but irregular verbs have their own peculiar way of shifting from one tense to another. According "The Chicago Manual of Style," “There are no modern rules on how an irregular verb forms the past tense and past participle.”