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�The craftsman is proud and careful of his tools; the surgeon does not operate with an old razor-blade; the sportsman fusses happily and long over the choice of rod, gun, club or racquet. But the man who is working in words, unless he is a professional writer (and not always then), is singularly neglectful of his instruments,� Ivor Brown- British journalist. VERBS have three principal parts (there are other parts): the present infinitive (usually called �the present�), the past indicative (usually called �the past�), and the past participle. A verb can be regular or irregular. Regular verbs form the past and the past participle by adding �-d� or �-ed� to the present infinitive, as in talk (present), talked (past) has talked (past participle); wave (present), waved (past), has waved; like (present), liked (past), has liked (past participle); close (present), closed (past), has closed (past participle); stoop (present), stooped (past), has stooped (past participle); walk (present), walked (past), has walked (past participle). Irregular verbs are those verbs that form their past tenses and/or their past participles in other ways than �-d, or �-ed�. Thus, whereas �talk� is a regular verb because the past and past participle end in �-ed� (talked), �speak� is an irregular verb because the past is �spoke� and the past participle is �spoken�. Some common irregular verbs are listed here: (to) be (present), was (past) has been (past participle); become (present) became (past), has become (past participle) break (present), broke (past) has broken (past participle); blow (present), blew (past) has blown (past participle); bring (present), brought (past) has brought (past participle) burn (present), burned/burnt (past) has burned/has burnt (past participle); buy (present), bought (past), has bought (past participle); choose (present), chose (past), chosen (past participle); come (present), came (past), has come (past participle): do (present), did (past) has done (past participle); drink (present), drank (past), has drunk (past participle); drive (present), drove (past), has driven (past Participle); eat (present), ate (past), has eaten (past participle); fight (present), fought (past) has fought (past participle); flee (present), fled (past) has fled (past participle); fly (present), flew (past) has flown (past participle); forbid (present), forbade (past) has forbidden (past participle); go (present), went (past), has gone (past participle); hide (present), hid (past), has hidden or has hid (past participle); know (present), knew (past), has known (past participle); mean (present), meant (past), meant (past participle); rise/arise (present), rose/arose (past), has risen/has arisen (past participle); throw (present), threw (past), has thrown (past participle); write (present), wrote (past) has written (past participle); wake (present), woke or waked (past), has woken or has waked (past participle). Some verbs deserve special treatment. We have �get� whose principal parts are get (present), got (past) has got or has gotten (past participle) �gotten� is now rarely used, except in �ill-gotten�, e.g. ill-gotten wealth (wealth acquired by wrong means). �Hang� can mean a number of things: It can mean �to suspend� or �to execute�. When it means �to suspend�, the principal parts are: hang (present), hung (past), has hung or has been hung (past participle). When it means �to execute�, the principal parts are hang (present), hanged (past), has hanged or has been hanged (past participle). Thus, we can have a sentence like, Abedi Pele has hung his boots: he is no longer playing for the Black Stars. The criminal has been hanged for armed robbery. The policeman hung his beret on the branch of a tree. The child�s clothes are hung on the lines to dry. �Let� does not change its form: it is let (present), let (past), let (past participle); e.g. The policeman always lets motorists pass without interference. The policeman let the driver go yesterday; the policeman has let the driver go now. �Quit� does not change its form; it is quit (present), quit (past) quit (past participle), e.g. The students have been urged to quit smoking. Kyei quit smoking a long time ago; Kyei has quit smoking. �Set�, meaning �to put down or place�, does not change its form; it is set (present), set (past), has set (past participle) e.g. You have to set aside some money for the future. The food was set before the travellers. The prisoners were set free. The stage has been set for the play to begin.