IRREGULAR VERBS

Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

know, knows, knowing, knew, known
Synonyms: understand, comprehend, grasp, recognize, be aware of

Antonyms: ignore, overlook, forget, misunderstand, be unaware of

The verb "know" is fundamental in English, used to describe the state of being aware of something through observation, inquiry, or information. It is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation deviates from regular patterns.

In the present simple tense, "know" follows its base form for most subjects: "I know," "you know," "he/she/it knows," and so on. For example, "She knows the answer to the question."

In the past simple tense, "know" changes to "knew." This irregular form is used to describe awareness or understanding that existed in the past. For instance, "He knew the truth all along."

The past participle of "know" is "known." When forming perfect tenses, such as the present perfect or past perfect, the past participle is combined with auxiliary verbs. An example sentence is "They have known each other for years."

Understanding the irregular conjugation of "know" is essential for accurately describing states of awareness or knowledge. The verb "know" is also used in various idiomatic expressions, adding to its versatility in the English language.

Additionally, "know" is a stative verb, which means it typically describes a state rather than an action. Because of this, it is not usually used in continuous tenses (present continuous, past continuous, etc.). For example, saying "I am knowing" or "He was knowing" is generally not considered grammatically correct in standard English. Instead, the simple forms are used: "I know" or "He knew."

Other forms where "know" is not typically used include:

    Present Continuous: "I am knowing" should be "I know."
    Past Continuous: "She was knowing" should be "She knew."
    Future Continuous: "They will be knowing" should be "They will know."

By understanding these nuances, one can use the verb "know" accurately in various contexts, enhancing both written and spoken communication in English.
Irregular verbs in English are special verbs that don't follow standard rules for changing forms. You need to memorize their specific forms instead of following regular patterns.
Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when forming their past tense and past participle by adding "-ed" to the base form.

KNOW - PRESENT SIMPLE
★ i know
★ you know
★ he/she/it knows
★ we know
★ you know
★ they know
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Present Simple
- I know the answer.
- You know the truth.
- He knows the rules. | She knows the way.
- We know the facts.
- You (plural) know the story.
- They know the secret.
KNOW - PRESENT CONTINUOUS
★ i am knowing
★ you are knowing
★ he/she/it is knowing
★ we are knowing
★ you are knowing
★ they are knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Present Continuous
- I am knowing more each day.
- You are knowing the details.
- He is knowing his limits. | She is knowing the routine.
- We are knowing what to expect.
- You (plural) are knowing the challenges.
- They are knowing their responsibilities.
KNOW - PRESENT PERFECT
★ i have known
★ you have known
★ he/she/it has known
★ we have known
★ you have known
★ they have known
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Present Perfect
- I have known the answer for a while.
- You have known the truth all along.
- He has known the rules for years. | She has known the way since childhood.
- We have known the facts for some time.
- You (plural) have known the story forever.
- They have known the secret for months.
KNOW - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ i have been knowing
★ you have been knowing
★ he/she/it has been knowing
★ we have been knowing
★ you have been knowing
★ they have been knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been knowing him for years.
- You have been knowing the truth gradually.
- He has been knowing the rules thoroughly. | She has been knowing the way better.
- We have been knowing the facts slowly.
- You (plural) have been knowing the story more clearly.
- They have been knowing the secret little by little.
KNOW - PAST SIMPLE
★ i knew
★ you knew
★ he/she/it knew
★ we knew
★ you knew
★ they knew
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Past Simple
- I knew the answer immediately.
- You knew the truth before anyone else.
- He knew the rules by heart. | She knew the way perfectly.
- We knew the facts already.
- You (plural) knew the story well.
- They knew the secret all along.
KNOW - PAST CONTINUOUS
★ i was knowing
★ you were knowing
★ he/she/it was knowing
★ we were knowing
★ you were knowing
★ they were knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Past Continuous
- I was knowing more with each lesson.
- You were knowing the details slowly.
- He was knowing his limits better. | She was knowing the routine well.
- We were knowing what to expect gradually.
- You (plural) were knowing the challenges one by one.
- They were knowing their responsibilities clearly.
KNOW - PAST PERFECT
★ i had known
★ you had known
★ he/she/it had known
★ we had known
★ you had known
★ they had known
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Past Perfect
- I had known the answer before the test.
- You had known the truth since the beginning.
- He had known the rules forever. | She had known the way for ages.
- We had known the facts long before.
- You (plural) had known the story inside out.
- They had known the secret from the start.
KNOW - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ i had been knowing
★ you had been knowing
★ he/she/it had been knowing
★ we had been knowing
★ you had been knowing
★ they had been knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been knowing him since we met.
- You had been knowing the truth gradually.
- He had been knowing the rules thoroughly. | She had been knowing the way better.
- We had been knowing the facts slowly.
- You (plural) had been knowing the story more clearly.
- They had been knowing the secret little by little.
KNOW - FUTURE SIMPLE
★ i will know
★ you will know
★ he/she/it will know
★ we will know
★ you will know
★ they will know
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Future Simple
- I will know the answer soon.
- You will know the truth eventually.
- He will know the rules by next week. | She will know the way by heart.
- We will know the facts shortly.
- You (plural) will know the story soon.
- They will know the secret eventually.
KNOW - FUTURE CONTINUOUS
★ i will be knowing
★ you will be knowing
★ he/she/it will be knowing
★ we will be knowing
★ you will be knowing
★ they will be knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Future Continuous
- I will be knowing more as time goes on.
- You will be knowing the details soon.
- He will be knowing his limits better. | She will be knowing the routine perfectly.
- We will be knowing what to expect eventually.
- You (plural) will be knowing the challenges gradually.
- They will be knowing their responsibilities soon.
KNOW - FUTURE PERFECT
★ i will have known
★ you will have known
★ he/she/it will have known
★ we will have known
★ you will have known
★ they will have known
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Future Perfect
- I will have known the answer by tomorrow.
- You will have known the truth by then.
- He will have known the rules by the end of the day. | She will have known the way perfectly.
- We will have known the facts by the end of the week.
- You (plural) will have known the story by next month.
- They will have known the secret by next year.
KNOW - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ i will have been knowing
★ you will have been knowing
★ he/she/it will have been knowing
★ we will have been knowing
★ you will have been knowing
★ they will have been knowing
Examples of the verb 'know' in the Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been knowing him for years by then.
- You will have been knowing the truth gradually.
- He will have been knowing the rules thoroughly. | She will have been knowing the way better.
- We will have been knowing the facts slowly.
- You (plural) will have been knowing the story more clearly.
- They will have been knowing the secret little by little.

conjugation of verb know