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Common Errors Workbook |
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Grammar |
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2. Confusing the past tense and past participle forms of irregular verbs |
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Irregular verbs have different forms for the past tense and the past participle. See section 35b of your handbook for a list of irregular verbs. If a sentence contains the helping verb have (in any of its forms: have, has, had), the verb immediately following have must be in its past participle form. Here's how to check for and correct this problem.
Locate the verb following the form of have.
Example: The price of heating oil has rose this winter.
Determine whether the verb is an irregular verb by checking the list in section 35b. In this case, rose is the past tense of rise.
If the verb is an irregular verb, make sure that the past participle form is used immediately after a form of have.
Corrected: The price of heating oil has risen this winter.
Remember: When an irregular verb follows a form of have, use the past participle form.
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