Advanced English Irregular Verbs and Collocations

Vocabulary practice cards covering irregular verb principal parts, contextual meanings, Polish translations, and distinctive collocations.

Abide

Forms: abided / abode (past), abided (past participle). Meanings: 'znosić', 'mieszkać'. Common expressions include 'can’t abide sth' (cannot stand something) and 'abide by the rules/regulations'.

Awake to something

An expression meaning to realise something (forms: awake, awoke, awoken; Polish equivalent: obudzić się).

Backbite

Forms: backbit (past), backbitten (past participle). Meaning: 'obmawiać'.

Backslide

Forms: backslid (past), backslid / backslidden (past participle). Meaning: 'zejść na złą drogę, opuścić się'.

Bear (collocations)

Forms: bore (past), borne / born (past participle; 'rodzić'). Key collocations include: 'bear a (passing) resemblance to', 'bear a grudge', and 'bear in mind'.

Bereave / Bereft

Forms: bereaved / bereft (past), bereaved / bereft (past participle). Meaning: 'osamotnić' (bereaved) or 'wyzuć, pozbawić' (bereft, as in 'bereft of all rights, hope etc.').

Beset

Forms: beset (past), beset (past participle). Meaning: 'osaczyć, doświadczać kogoś' (e.g., 'The family was beset by money troubles').

Bespeak

Forms: bespoke (past), bespoken (past participle). Meaning: 'świadczyć o' (e.g., 'his letter bespeaks unwillingness to…').

Bid (bade / bidden vs. bid / bid)

1) bade, bidden: 'prosić, nakazać, pozdrawiać kogoś' ('bid sb farewell', 'bid sb good morning'). 2) bid, bid: 'licytować' ('bid $100 for…', 'bid against sb').

Browbeat

Forms: browbeat (past), browbeaten (past participle). Meaning: 'zastraszać, zmuszać', specifically in the collocation 'browbeat sb into smth'.

Bust

Forms: bust / busted (past), bust / busted (past participle). Meanings: 'pęknąć, zniszczyć, uszkodzić, aresztować' (e.g., 'bust my knee', 'bust sb for something, e.g. drug trafficking', 'bust a place' = search it by the police).

Cast (collocations)

Forms: cast (past), cast (past participle). Collocations: 'cast a statue', 'cast a spell/doubt on', 'cast a look/glance', 'cast an eye over smth', 'cast some light', 'cast smth from your mind', 'cast a shadow over smth', 'cast a vote (in elections)', and 'cast someone as'.

Chide

Forms: chided / chid (past), chid / chidden (past participle). Meaning: 'zbesztać (for smth)'.

Cleave

1) clove, cloven: 'stay very close to someone, przylgnąć, wierzyć w coś, pozostawać wiernym (tradycji, ideałom)'. 2) cleft, cleft: 'rozszczepiać, rozłupywać'. 3) cleaved, cleaved: 'łupać'.

Cost vs. Costed

Forms cost / cost mean 'kosztować'; forms costed / costed mean 'wyceniać'.

Dwell

Forms: dwelt / dwelled (past), dwelt / dwelled (past participle). Meaning: 'mieszkać, zamieszkiwać' or 'rozwodzić się nad czymś' when used as 'dwell on/upon smth'.

Fling (collocations)

Forms: flung (past), flung (past participle; 'rzucić, cisnąć'). Key usages: 'fling accusations', 'fling yourself down, onto smth etc.', 'fling someone out (wyrzucić kogoś)', 'fling smth open (e.g. curtains)', 'fling yourself at sb', and 'fling yourself into/at (e.g. work)'.

Forbear

Forms: forbore (past), forborne (past participle). Meaning: 'powstrzymać się, być cierpliwym' (pattern: 'from doing something / to do something').

Forego

Forms: forewent (past), foregone (past participle). Meaning: 'zaniechać, obyć się bez czegoś' (e.g., 'forego the pleasure of seeing you today').

Gainsay

Forms: gainsaid (past), gainsaid (past participle). Meaning: 'zaprzeczać, kwestionować'.

Grind (collocations)

Forms: ground (past), ground (past participle; 'mielić, ostrzyć'). Expressions: 'grind the faces of the poor' (become rich by treating the poor unkindly), 'grind to a halt' (moving more and more slowly), and 'grind your teeth'.

Hamstring

Forms: hamstrung (past), hamstrung (past participle). Meaning: 'okaleczać, ograniczać' (e.g., 'be hamstrung by the lack of money').

Heave

1) heaved, heaved: 'dźwignąć, podnieść, wymiotować', as in 'heave a sigh of relief'. 2) hove, hove: 'zacumować, zakotwiczyć, pojawiać się' (e.g., 'to heave in sight').

Lay (collocations)

Forms: laid (past), laid (past participle; 'położyć, kłaść, powalić'). Collocations: 'lay eggs', 'lay the table', 'lay the groundwork/foundations for smth', 'lay a trap', 'lay bare (e.g. facts) = reveal, make known', 'lay the blame/responsibility for smth on sb', and 'lay charges against sb' (postawić zarzuty).

Molten

Past participle / adjective form of melt ('roztapiać'), used specifically in collocations such as 'molten metal' or 'molten rock'.

Overdraw

Forms: overdrew (past), overdrawn (past participle). Meaning: 'przekraczać stan konta' (e.g., 'you are/your bank account is overdrawn').

Override

Forms: overrode (past), overridden (past participle). Meaning: 'być ważniejszym niż, odrzucać' (e.g., 'a veto/a bill was overridden', 'Money overrides everything for him').

Overrun

Forms: overran (past), overrun (past participle). Examples: 'the market was overrun with foreign goods', 'the class overran by 20 mins', 'we’ve overridden on costs'.

Partake

Forms: partook (past), partaken (past participle). Meanings: 'partake in' = take part in; 'partake of the food' = częstować się.

Rend

Forms: rent (past), rent (past participle). Meaning: 'rozdzielać, rozdzierać gwałtownie na strzępy, kawałki'.

Shed (collocations)

Forms: shed (past), shed (past participle). Collocations: 'shed tears', 'shed blood', 'shed skin', 'shed light', 'shed the ‘bad-boy’ image', 'shed weight/pounds/kilos', and 'shed jobs/staff' (make redundant).

Sling (collocations)

Forms: slung (past), slung (past participle). Collocations: 'sling out' (=throw away), 'sling out sb from somewhere', 'sling sb in prison', 'sling smth carelessly on the floor', and 'sling smth over smth' (e.g., a coat over one’s shoulder).

Smite

Forms: smote (past), smitten (past participle). Meaning: 'uderzyć, porazić (old use)', e.g., 'be smitten with illness', 'we shall smite the evil invaders'.

Strew

Forms: strewed (past), strewed / strewn (past participle; usually passive). Meaning: 'rozsypywać, posypywać; rozsiany' (e.g., 'room strewn with children’s toys', 'his career was strewn with misfortune').

Strive (collocations)

Forms: strove (past), striven (past participle). Collocations: 'strive for a balance/independence' and 'strive to meet highest standards'.

Thrive

Forms: throve / thrived (past), thriven / thrived (past participle). Examples: 'business is thriving', 'to thrive on smth (e.g. stress)'.

Undergo (collocations)

Forms: underwent (past), undergone (past participle). Collocations: 'undergo surgery/treatment/an operation', 'undergo change, makeover, rehabilitation, renovation, repair, transformation', and 'undergo a series of modifications/a revival of popularity'.

Underwrite

Forms: underwrote (past), underwritten (past participle). Meaning: 'ubezpieczyć, kontraktować, wykupić akcje przedsiębiorstwa jako zabezpieczenie przed stratą'; 'underwrite an enterprise' = invest money to start a project.

Undo

Forms: undid (past), undone (past participle). Meanings: 'rozpiąć', 'undo the damage', 'undo all the achievements' (return to a previous, usually worse state), or 'cofnij w komputerze'.

Waylay

Forms: waylaid (past), waylaid (past participle). Meaning: 'czyhać, napadać' (phrases: 'waylay sb', 'get/be waylaid').

Withhold (collocations)

Forms: withheld (past), withheld (past participle). Collocations: 'withhold support', 'withhold payment', and 'withhold smth from sb' (e.g., 'She withheld the information from the court').

Wreak

Forms: wreaked / wrought (past), wreaked / wrought (past participle). Collocations: 'wreak havoc/destruction', 'wreak revenge/vengeance'.