Grammar and Conventions
Regular and Irregular Past Tense Verbs
1. Focus
Objectives
Explain Regular and Irregular Verbs
In this mini-lesson, students will:
• Identify regular and irregular past
tense verbs.
Say: We use present tense verbs to write about something that is happening
now, and we use past tense verbs to write about what has already happened.
Verbs that end in -ed are called regular past tense verbs.
• Brainstorm regular and irregular
past tense verbs.
Display the following chart on chart paper or using the interactive whiteboard
resources. As you talk about the -ed endings, circle the letters you refer to.
• Write sentences using regular and
irregular past tense verbs.
Preparation
Materials Needed
• Chart paper and markers
• Regular and Irregular Past Tense
Verbs (BLM 3)
• Interactive whiteboard resources
Advanced Preparation
If you will not be using the interactive
whiteboard resources, copy the
Example Regular Verb Tense chart,
the Example Irregular Verb Tense
chart, and the modeling text onto
chart paper prior to the mini-lesson.
Regular Present Tense
Regular Past Tense
establish
prepare
nod
established
prepared
nodded
Example Regular Verb Tense Chart
Say: Look at the word establish. To make this word past tense, I add -ed. Now
look at the word prepare. The word ends in e, so I drop the e before adding
-ed. Now look at the word nod. The word has a short vowel sound. When a
word has a short vowel sound followed by a consonant, I need to double the
final consonant before adding -ed. You can see that regular past tense verbs
end in -ed. But irregular past tense verbs do not end in -ed. Let’s look at some
irregular past tense verbs.
Display the following chart on chart paper or using the interactive whiteboard
resources.
Irregular Present Tense
Irregular Past Tense
keep
begin
find
kept
began
found
Example Irregular Verb Tense Chart
Say: None of these past tense verbs end in -ed. Think about how these words
would sound if you added an -ed. Keeped, begined, and finded sound strange.
Instead, the word keep becomes kept, begin becomes began, and find
becomes found. Irregular past tense verbs do not follow a pattern, so you have
to memorize their spellings.
Model Using Regular and Irregular Past Tense Verbs
Say: I’m going to look at some sentences from a science fiction story to see if I
can find examples of regular and irregular verbs.
16
Benchmark Writer’s Workshop • Grade 4 • Science Fiction • ©2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Science Fiction
But it was the Tidal Waves of ’48 that did the most damage, wiping out
islands that were home to millions of people. Then came the Dry Times
that destroyed the remaining crops and started the flood wars.
Modeling Text
Say: Looking at the first sentence, I see the past tense verbs was, did, and were.
These are all irregular. The present tense forms of these verbs are is, do, and
are. In the next sentence, the verbs are came, destroyed, and started. The word
came is an irregular verb; the present tense form is come. Both destroyed and
started end with -ed. These are regular past tense verbs.
2. Rehearse
Practice Regular and Irregular Past Tense Verbs
Ask students to form small groups. Invite groups to think of three regular past
tense verbs that end in -ed and three irregular past tense verbs. Ask the groups
to practice using the verbs in oral sentences.
If your class includes English learners or other students who need support, use
“Strategies to Support ELs.”
Share Practice Sentences
Ask groups to share the words they thought of. Record their words on an anchor
chart. Invite students to share oral sentences using the past tense verbs.
Regular Verbs
Irregular Verbs
Present Tense
Past Tense
Present Tense
Past Tense
decidehop
useexplain
decidedhopped
usedexplained
dosend
singfind
didsent
sangfound
3. I ndependent Writing
and Conferring
Say: Remember to use regular and
irregular past tense verbs when you write
about things that have happened in the
past, for example, in science fiction stories.
Decide whether you need to drop the final
e from the present tense form or double
the final consonant before adding to
regular verbs to form the past tense.
Remind students to pay attention to their
past tense verb forms as they draft and
revise. If you would like to give students
additional practice recognizing and
forming regular and irregular past tense
verbs, have them complete BLM 3.
4. Share
Bring students together. Invite volunteers
to read aloud their answers to BLM 3. Use
students’ answers to provide corrective
feedback. Ask students to share what they
learned about regular and irregular verbs.
Sample Regular and Irregular Past Tense Verbs Anchor Chart
Strategies to Support ELs
Beginning
Concentrate on one or two very common verbs that students need
to use in everyday oral language, for example, the words eat/
ate, do/did. Create a two-column chart with the column heads
“Present” and “Past” and write the present and past tense of these
verbs in the appropriate columns. Read the words with students
and use them in sentences as you pantomime actions to build
understanding. For example:
Today I eat my breakfast.
Yesterday I ate my breakfast.
Intermediate and Advanced
Pair students with fluent English speakers to brainstorm past tense
verbs and think of oral sentences.
©2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC • Benchmark Writer’s Workshop • Grade 4 • Science Fiction 17