Chapter 1 Common Grammar Mistakes
31
irregular verbs: see, swim, sing, spring, swing
Irregular verbs can be stumpers.
Use your dictionary if you aren't sure what the past tense or past
participle is.
"See, saw, seen" is like "swim, swam, swum."
"Saw" is the past tense.
v
I SAW the show yesterday and felt like puking.
"Seen" is the past participle, so it always needs a form of "have"
with it.
v
I HAVE SEEN the show today and give it a thumbs up.
I know "swam" sounds weird.
But it is the past tense of "swim."
v
On the trip to the coast we SWAM in a heated pool.
Then the past participle "swum" must have a form of "have" along
side.
v
We HAVE SWUM in some pretty polluted pools, but we always
stay in cheap motels.
The same rules apply for "sin g, sang, sung" and "spring, sprang,
sprung," but "swing, swung, swung" is tricky.
v
Tuesday the photog SWUNG from the chopper to get the shot.
v
She HAS SWUNG from the chopper so many times now she
may be pushing her luck.
Mrs. B wishes you a lucky day.
