Your task
Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.
0 / 15 answered
Your score
0 / 150%
Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.
Quick rule
An irregular verb has its own past participle, and you must learn it. Put that form after have or has, and never use the past simple form there.
have or hasalreadyeverthree forms
See full explanation ↓About this exercise
This B1 gap-fill set has 15 sentences, and each one needs an irregular past participle. The base verb is in brackets, for example write, eat, fly or swim, and you type the form that follows have or has. You get no list of options, so you must recall the form. The set includes pairs that look alike and are often mixed up: drunk and drank, swum and swam, flown and flew. It also includes verbs where two forms are the same, such as brought and caught. After each answer, say the three forms in order, base, past simple and past participle, and notice which two match.
The rule in 30 seconds
An irregular verb has its own past participle, and you must learn it. Put that form after have or has, and never use the past simple form there.
have or has + irregular past participlehave or hastells you that a participle is needed
alreadyoften appears between the auxiliary and the participle
everappears in experience questions, as in Have you ever ridden a camel?
three formsbase, past simple, past participle
Learn from the errors
Common mistakes this set targets
- Past simple form after have. The thieves have stole several paintings from the museum. → The thieves have stolen several paintings from the museum.Stole is the past simple, and stolen is the participle.
- Drank for drunk. They've drank all the orange juice. → They've drunk all the orange juice.Drink changes its vowel in each form, and the participle is drunk.
- Swam for swum. She has swam twenty lengths today. → She has swum twenty lengths today.Swim follows the same i-a-u pattern as drink, and the participle ends in u.
- Catch with -ed. The cat has catched another mouse this week. → The cat has caught another mouse this week.Catch does not take -ed, and its participle is caught.
- Base form after have. I've forget my password again. → I've forgotten my password again.The base form never follows have or has, so add the participle ending.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a rule for irregular past participles?
There are patterns, such as ride, ridden and write, written, but no rule covers every verb. Learn the verbs in groups and check each one with the explanation.
Which verbs have the same past simple and past participle?
Bring, catch and find do. Their forms are brought, caught and found in both places. This makes them easier than verbs such as see or do.
Are "forgotten" and "forgot" both accepted?
This quiz accepts both. Forgotten is the standard participle in British English, so it is the safe choice in writing.
Why is the participle of be "been"?
English uses been after have or has, as in "We have been friends for years". Was and were are past simple forms, and they cannot follow have.