PAST PARTICIPLES EXERCISE 1 (ESL)
level: Beginner (A1/A2)
Past participles are used in perfect tenses, passive constructions, and as adjectives — so getting them right is essential across a wide range of grammar. Some verbs form the past participle regularly (add -ed); others are irregular and must be memorized. The grammar review below explains the three main uses and lists the key irregular forms.
GRAMMAR REVIEW! Past participles — forms and uses
The past participle is the third form of a verb (after the base form and the past simple). It is used in three main grammatical contexts.
How to form past participles:
• Regular verbs: add -ed walk → walked, clean → cleaned, love → loved
• Irregular verbs: must be memorized write → written, go → gone, break → broken
Three main uses:
1. Perfect tenses (with have/has/had): She has written three books. He had gone home.
2. Passive voice (with be): The window was broken. The letter is written in French.
3. As an adjective: a broken heart a spoken language a written exam
Common irregular past participles to know:
be → been come → come do → done eat → eaten take → taken run → run make → made say → said
The past participle is the third form of a verb (after the base form and the past simple). It is used in three main grammatical contexts.
How to form past participles:
• Regular verbs: add -ed walk → walked, clean → cleaned, love → loved
• Irregular verbs: must be memorized write → written, go → gone, break → broken
Three main uses:
1. Perfect tenses (with have/has/had): She has written three books. He had gone home.
2. Passive voice (with be): The window was broken. The letter is written in French.
3. As an adjective: a broken heart a spoken language a written exam
Common irregular past participles to know:
be → been come → come do → done eat → eaten take → taken run → run make → made say → said
Fill in each blank with the correct past participle of the verb shown.
1. sing: ✓
2. know: ✓
3. try: ✓
4. believe: ✓
5. study: ✓
6. see: ✓
7. fall: ✓
8. laugh: ✓
9. cry: ✓
10. understand: ✓
11. play: ✓
12. grow: ✓
13. fly: ✓
14. answer: ✓
15. learn: ✓
16. cough: ✓
17. call: ✓
18. hold: ✓
19. give: ✓
20. stand: ✓
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
More simple past exercises:
Irregular Verbs Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Irregular Verbs Exercise 2 (B1/B2)
Simple Past Tense Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Simple Past Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Simple Past Tense - Exercise 3 (A2/B1)
Related past continuous exercises:
Past Continuous Tense Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Past Continuous Tense Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Simple Past or Past Continuous? Exercise 1 (B1/B2)
Simple Past or Past Continuous? Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
More simple past exercises:
Irregular Verbs Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Irregular Verbs Exercise 2 (B1/B2)
Simple Past Tense Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Simple Past Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Simple Past Tense - Exercise 3 (A2/B1)
Related past continuous exercises:
Past Continuous Tense Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Past Continuous Tense Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Simple Past or Past Continuous? Exercise 1 (B1/B2)
Simple Past or Past Continuous? Exercise 2 (A1/A2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
