不规则动词里是不是杂乱无序的动词呢？当然不是；实际上是乱中有序、有条不紊的。

　　首先，不规则动词是针对规则动词而言。

　　大家知道，规则动词（regular verbs）的过去式（the past form）和过去分词（the past participle）都一样的要加上“ -ed/-d”，如：

　　①a. Jason worked until five o'clock（过去式）
　　　b. Have you worked late?（过去分词）

　　②a. Xiao Lin decided to go abroad（过去式）
　　　b. Has his wife decided to join him ?（过去分词）

　　不规则动词则不然；它们的过去式和过去分词并不一致，学习时要集中精神，一一加以辨别，才可避免错误。

　　语法学家根据动词“原形、过去式、过去分词”三形式上的变化，把不规则动词划分为下列类别：

　　㈠三种形式都相同

　　第一类的包括下列这些常见动词：

　　① cut-cut-cut ; ② hurt-hurt-hurt ; ③ put-put-put; ④ shut-shut-shut; ⑤ cost-cost-cost; ⑥burst-burst-burst; ⑦ hit-hit-hit; ⑧ cast-cast-cast; ⑨ set-set-set; ⑩ let-let-let.

　　例如：

　　⑴a. Don't go on blowing the balloon! It will burst.
　　　b. One of his car tyres had a nail and it burst.
　　　c. The dog has burst free and ran away.

　　㈡其中两种形式相同

　　第二类可分为十一小类；下面是其中常见的四种：

　　① bind-bound-bound; find-found-found
　　② bring-brought-brought;
　 　　think-thought-thought
　　③ dig-dug-dug; strike-struck-struck
　　④ bend-bent-bent; build-built-built

　　例如：

　　⑵a. You have to bend your head when you bow.
　　　b The mechanic bent the wire and broke it.
　　　c. Here come the woman bent down with age.

　　㈢三种形式都不同

　　第三类可再分为八小类，如下：

　　① take-took-taken; shake-shook-shaken
　　② hide-hid-hidden; bite-bit-bitten
　　③ tear-tore-torn; bear-bore-born/ borne
　　④ choose-chose-chosen;
　　　 speak-spoke-spoken
　　⑤ know-knew-known; blow-blew-blown
　　⑥ write-wrote-written; drive-drove-driven
　　⑦ drink-drank-drunk; begin-began-begun
　　⑧ show-showed-showed/shown;
　 　　swell-swelled/swollen

　　例如：

　　⑶a. Can you write down your name?
　　　b. I wrote it there, didn't I?
　　　c. Have you written to John, who is now in New York?

　　上述例子证明不规则动词的确比规则动词麻烦得多。莫怪有人说，英语动词是所有词类中，最难应付的一种。这话很中肯，毫不夸张。幸好，不规则动词也有迹可寻；就让我们“步步追踪”吧！