Page 85 - Just Enough English Grammar Illustrated Book

Past forms of irregular verbs change their
forms without following a pattern.

Irregular verbs in the past form can be tricky. Memorizing all
the forms of irregular verbs is essential.
I won!
Here are examples of the base form and past
form of three irregular verbs: go ~ went,
say ~ said, win ~ won.

The past form of a verb does not change
according to the subject it is connected to.

The chart for Past Form on the next page shows that one past
form connects to all subject pronouns. The examples walked,
wrote, went, and said include both regular and irregular
verbs. Each of these verbs is a main verb.

For the next two principal parts, the same main verbs are used
again, but they need the company of helping verbs.

4.8 The Third Principal Part: Present Participle 3

Look at the flippers. They are a swimming device.
Are they doing the swimming for you? No, they
are just helpers when swimming. Helping verbs
work the same way. The helping verb is there to
help the main verb. It is the main verb that tells
you what the important message is.

Helping verbs help the main verb
tell about an action or make a statement.

Principal Part is called the present participle. The present
participle of the main verb is used with a form of the helping
verb to be.
The following examples illustrate how am, are, and is—all
forms of the helping verb to be—combine with the present
participle in a sentence.

Susan is walking around the pool.

Helping Verb Present Participle
(Main Verb)
72