Understanding This Pattern
Vowel-Change Verbs — Full Table
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| arise | arose | arisen |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| dig | dug | dug |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| fling | flung | flung |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| slink | slunk | slunk |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| strike | struck | struck |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| win | won | won |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
Practise This Pattern
Other Irregular Verb Patterns
Frequently Asked Questions
What are vowel-change verbs?
Vowel-Change Verbs are English irregular verbs that follow the pattern: Internal Vowel Shift (sing–sang–sung). Common examples include sing, ring, swim, begin. This page lists 32 verbs in this group.
How do I recognise a vowel change verb?
Compare the base form, past simple, and past participle. If they match the pattern 'Internal Vowel Shift (sing–sang–sung)', the verb belongs to this group. The table on this page lists all 32 common verbs that follow it.
Why do these verbs follow the 'Internal Vowel Shift (sing–sang–sung)' pattern?
Most irregular verb patterns, including this one, are inherited from older stages of English rather than following a modern spelling rule. Learning verbs by shared pattern (like this group) is far more efficient than memorising each one individually.
Can you give an example sentence with a verb from this group?
For example, using 'sing': base form in the present ('I sing every day'), past simple, and past participle with 'have'. See the intro above for full example sentences.
Do all verbs in this group behave identically in every tense?
Yes — once you know the three principal parts (base, past simple, past participle) of a verb in this group, you can form every tense correctly, including continuous and perfect forms, by combining them with the correct auxiliary verbs.
Are these verbs common in everyday English?
Yes, most verbs in this group — including sing, ring, swim, begin — are among the most frequently used verbs in spoken and written English, so mastering this pattern gives you strong returns for your study time.
How is this pattern different from the other three irregular verb groups?
LexFizz groups English irregular verbs into four patterns: no-change (cut-cut-cut), vowel-change (sing-sang-sung), same-past-participle (buy-bought-bought), and completely irregular (go-went-gone). Each group needs a slightly different memorisation strategy, which is why separating them helps.
What mistakes do learners commonly make with this pattern?
The most common mistake is regularising the verb — for example adding -ed instead of using the correct irregular form. Another common error is confusing the past simple and past participle when the two forms differ, using one where the other is required.
How can I practise this pattern for free?
Use LexFizz's Flash Cards and Flip Tiles exercises to drill the base/past/participle triples, then try writing your own sentences using each verb in past simple and present perfect to check you can apply the pattern correctly.
Where can I see the full list of English irregular verbs?
The full alphabetical table of common irregular verbs, including this group and the other three patterns, is available on the main Irregular Verbs hub page.