39 IRREGULAR VERB FORMS
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Base form Past tense Past/passive participle
300 List of irregular verbs
NOTE
a For verbs which have forms both in ed and t, e.g. burned / burnt, dream / dreamt, • 303(11).
b Cost as a transitive verb is regular.
They've costed the project. (= estimated the cost)
Base form Past tense Past/passive participle
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c The third person singular of do is does
d Fit is usually regular in Britain but irregular in the US.
e In GB the past tense of forbid is forbad or forbade, pronounced
. In the US it is
forbade, pronounced
f For the past participle gotten (US), • 303(5d).
g The third person singular of go is goes
For gone and been, • 84(6).
h We use hanged only to talk about hanging a person.
i The third person singular of have is has
j For the difference between lay and lie, • 11 (2) Note b. Lie (= tell an untruth) is regular.
k The third person singular of say is says
1 Shined means 'polished': I've shined my shoes. Compare The sun shone.
m We use sped for movement.
They sped down the hill.
But we say speeded up (= went faster),
n Weave is regular when it expresses movement.
We weaved our way through the traffic.
39 IRREGULAR VERB FORMS . PAGE 388
301 Special participle forms
There are some special past/passive participle forms that we use mainly before a

The British can use a noun phrase after a linking verb such as be, seem, look, feel.
• 9(1)
Mainly GB: It looks a lovely evening.
She seemed (to be) a competent pilot.
The Americans do not use this pattern except with be and become.
US: It looks like/It looks to be a lovely evening.
She seemed to be a competent pilot.
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40 AMERICAN ENGLISH PAGE 390
2 Do for an action
The British sometimes use do to refer to an action. • 38 (2c)
GB: He practises the piano, but not as often as he might (do).
You should reply if you haven't (done) already.
This usage is not found in American English.
US: He practices the piano, but not as often as he might.
You should reply if you haven't already.
But Americans use do so.
GB/US: You should reply if you haven't done so already.
3 Do for emphasis
The British can use do to emphasize an offer or invitation in the imperative form.
GB: (Do) have a glass of wine.
This usage is less common in American English.
US: Have a glass of wine.
Americans also avoid the emphatic Do let's... and the negative Don't let's...
• 19 (6a)
GB/US: Let's not invite them.
GB only: Don't let's invite them.
NOTE Let's don't invite them is possible in informal American English but not in Britain.
4 Question tags
Americans use tags much less often than the British. The British may use them