Written By: Tim Johnson
ESL + Business Instructor | Aston American University
Learning irregular verbs will help make you more understood. If you don’t use irregular verbs, an English speaker will not know whether you are speaking about the past, present or future. Your topic and conversation will be difficult to understand. Learning irregular verbs for non-native English speakers is one of the hardest things to do, and many ESL (English as a Second Language) students do not want to take time out of their busy schedule to learn irregular verbs. However, English speakers use irregular verbs very often, and it is one of the most critical things to learn in the English language.
I agree that sitting down and writing out each irregular verb and its translation into your own language could be viewed as very boring. My lawyer actually did this and he studied irregular verbs every free moment he had for a few weeks, but he learned them and it really works. However, there are better ways and more fun ways to learn.
Here are a few ways to learn irregular verbs:
Youtube
Learn irregular verbs with Fluency MC on YouTube. There are several videos with him rapping these irregular verbs, but the best video is the one where you can see the irregular verbs and he is giving a live performance in the classroom. Quite a few of my students have learned irregular verbs from him. 
Quiz Games
There are many quiz games on the Internet. One of the better ones is by MacMillian. You spin the wheel and it quizzes you. You have 2 minutes to get as many points as possible. You can find the game here.
Online Flashcards
Quizlet is another good place to learn irregular verbs on the internet. You can take a test and it will give you your results and keep score for you. It will show you what your most troubling irregular verbs are and which ones you already know and do not need to work on so much. They have online flashcards to help you learn as well. You can find the website here.
Mobile Apps
While there are many websites out there like those listed above to help you learn irregular verbs, there are also many mobile applications, which are downloadable to your mobile phone that will quiz you. You can do these when you are sitting on a bus or train, waiting to get home. Look for apps in your language as each country is different.
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of irregular verbs. If you put in a little effort and time to learning this vital part of the English language, you will learn the verbs for sure. I have seen many students learn irregular verbs with some effort. Good luck!
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