What is the Difference Between AR, ER, and IR Verbs?
Understanding the differences between AR, ER, and IR verbs is crucial for mastering English grammar. These verbs, known as irregular verbs, behave differently from regular verbs in terms of their past tense and past participle forms. Let’s delve into the nuances of each type and how they differ from one another.
AR Verbs
AR verbs are irregular verbs that follow a specific pattern in their past tense and past participle forms. The past tense of AR verbs is formed by adding “ed” to the base form of the verb, while the past participle form is also formed by adding “ed” to the base form. For example:
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Play | Played | Played |
| Walk | Walked | Walked |
| Run | ran | Ran |
As you can see, the past tense and past participle forms of AR verbs are the same. This pattern is consistent across all AR verbs, making them relatively easy to identify and use.
ER Verbs
ER verbs are another type of irregular verbs, but they have a unique pattern in their past tense and past participle forms. The past tense of ER verbs is formed by adding “ed” to the base form of the verb, while the past participle form is formed by dropping the “e” from the base form and adding “d.” For example:
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Go | Went | Gone |
| Have | Had | Had |
| Make | Made | Made |
Notice that the past participle form of ER verbs often ends with “d” instead of “ed.” This pattern is consistent across all ER verbs, making them distinct from AR and IR verbs.
IR Verbs
IR verbs are irregular verbs that have a unique pattern in their past tense and past participle forms. The past tense of IR verbs is formed by changing the base form of the verb to its past tense form, while the past participle form is the same as the past tense form. For example:
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Be | Was | Been |
| Do | Did | Done |
| See | Saw | Saw |
IR verbs can be challenging to remember because their past tense and past participle forms are often the same. However, this pattern is consistent across all IR verbs, making it easier to identify and use them correctly.
Distinguishing AR, ER, and IR Verbs
Now that we’ve explored the unique patterns of AR, ER, and IR verbs, let’s discuss how to distinguish between them:
- AR Verbs: Always end with “ed” in both the past tense and past participle forms. For example, “play” becomes “played” and “played” in both forms.
