English is a powerful tool for business, and knowing the right verbs can make a big difference! At first, it seems easy to put verbs in the past by adding “ed.” But then, you find out there are many irregular verbs that don’t follow this rule.

In business, it’s important to know these irregular verbs well. While there are no special tricks to learn them, practice and memory are your best friends.

Today, we’ll show you 20 commonly used irregular verbs in Business English. These verbs are essential for communication in the workplace. We’ll give you two examples for each verb to help you understand how to use them effectively.

Most Used Irregular Verbs in Business English

1. Meet (meet/meets, met)

“We met with the client yesterday to discuss the new project. Today, we meet with the marketing team.”

“I met the deadline for the report last week. Now, I meet with my manager to review it.”

2. Speak (speak/speaks, spoke)

“He spoke with the supplier about the order. Today, he speaks to the customer about delivery.”

“We spoke at the conference last year. Now, we speak at a workshop.”

3. Win (win/wins, won)

“Our team won the sales competition last quarter. Now, we win new clients every month.”

“She won an award for her innovation. Today, she wins support from investors.”

4. Lead (lead/leads, led)

“She led the project to success. Now, she leads a new initiative.”

“They led the meeting yesterday. Today, they lead the training session.”

5. Write (write/writes, wrote)

“He wrote the business proposal last week. Now, he writes the presentation.”

“We wrote the annual report. Today, we write the marketing plan.”

6. Take (take/takes, took)

“They took a risk with the new product. Now, they take steps to expand the market.”

“I took notes during the meeting. Today, I take action based on them.”

7. Sell (sell/sells, sold)

“We sold 500 units last month. This month, we sell even more.”

“She sold the idea to the board. Now, she sells it to the team.”

8. Think (think/thinks, thought)

“I thought the strategy was clear. Today, I think it needs some changes.”

“They thought the merger would be easy. Now, they think it requires more planning.”

9. Buy (buy/buys, bought)

“We bought new equipment last year. Now, we buy more to meet demand.”

“He bought stock in the company. Today, he buys shares in another firm.”

10. Know (know/knows, knew)

“She knew the market trends well. Now, she knows how to adjust the strategy.”

“We knew about the changes early. Now, we know how to adapt quickly.”

11. Get (get/gets, got)

“They got approval for the budget. Now, they get ready to start the project.”

“I got feedback from the client. Today, I get to work on improvements.”

12. See (see/sees, saw)

“We saw the opportunity for growth. Now, we see the results of our efforts.”

“He saw the issue before it became a problem. Today, he sees a solution.”

13. Give (give/gives, gave)

“She gave a presentation on the new product. Now, she gives updates to the team.”

“They gave us valuable insights. Today, we give them our feedback.”

14. Take (take/takes, took)

“I took the initiative to lead the project. Now, I take responsibility for its success.”

“They took a chance with the investment. Today, they take pride in their achievement.”

15. Tell (tell/tells, told)

“He told us about the new policy. Now, he tells everyone to follow it.”

“We told the client about the delay. Today, we tell them it’s resolved.”

16. Make (make/makes, made)

“They made a decision to expand. Now, they make plans for the new office.”

“She made a strong case for the proposal. Today, she makes adjustments based on feedback.”

17. Hold (hold/holds, held)

“We held a meeting to discuss the budget. Now, we hold weekly check-ins.”

“He held the position for five years. Today, he holds a senior role.”

18. Find (find/finds, found)

“She found a way to reduce costs. Now, she finds new opportunities for savings.”

“They found a new supplier. Today, they find ways to strengthen the partnership.”

19. Come (come/comes, came)

“He came up with a great idea. Now, he comes to the team with more suggestions.”

“We came to an agreement. Today, we come together to implement it.”

20. Fly (fly/flies, flew)

“They flew to New York for the conference. Now, they fly to London for a meeting.”

“She flew to meet the investors. Today, she flies back with good news.”

Practice is Key!

These are some of the most used irregular verbs in Business English. You’ll find them often in emails, reports, and meetings. To learn these irregular verbs well, practice is important. Elsa Speak can help you with this. It can help you not just say these verbs right, but also use them when you talk to others.

Try making sentences with these verbs, like the examples we gave. Then, use Elsa Speak to get better at talking with them. The more you practice with Elsa Speak, talking and listening, the better you will get. So, keep going! With Elsa Speak’s help in your conversations and practice, you’ll get really good at these commonly used irregular verbs in Business English before you know it.