Verbs That Never Change: Cut, Put, Hit, Read
Quick Answer
A group of English verbs look the same in the present, the past and with have: I cut it today, I cut it yesterday, I have cut it before. There is nothing to add and nothing to spell differently.
See the Pattern First
The verb never moves. Only the time words change.
- Today I put the keys here. Yesterday I put them there.
- The window cost £50 last year. It still costs £50 today.
- She hit the ball hard in the last match.
- I have read that book twice.
This is the easiest verb group in English — there is literally nothing to learn except the list. The only trap is read, and it is a trap for your ears, not your pen.
The Full List — 11 Verbs
Same word in all three columns. That is the whole rule.
| Verb | Past | With have/has/had |
|---|---|---|
| bet | bet | bet |
| burst | burst | burst |
| cost | cost | cost |
| hit | hit | hit |
| put | put | put |
| read | read (said “red”) | read (said “red”) |
| split | split | split |
| spread | spread | spread |
| cut | cut | cut |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| shut | shut | shut |
These come up often, so they have their own full lesson with more practice: is it cut or cutted? and the past tense of hurt and the past tense of shut.
The Read Trap
Read is spelled the same in every form but pronounced differently. Present: “reed”. Past: “red”. So “I read every day” and “I read it yesterday” look identical on paper and sound completely different out loud.
This means a reader can only tell the tense from the words around it. When you write, help them: add a time word like yesterday, last night or every day, and there is no confusion.
Nothing changes. Never add -ed.
Why “Cutted” Feels Right
If you have written “cutted” or “putted”, here is why your brain did that:
- English adds -ed to about 95% of verbs, so your brain applies the pattern automatically. That is intelligent behaviour, not carelessness.
- Children learning English as a first language make exactly the same mistake, and for exactly the same reason.
“Putted” does exist — but only in golf, where it means hitting a ball on the green. Nowhere else.
Mistakes Learners Make (You Are Not Alone)
These four are the classics:
- ✗ I cutted my finger → ✓ I cut my finger
- ✗ he putted the box down → ✓ he put the box down
- ✗ it costed £20 → ✓ it cost £20
- ✗ she hitted the ball → ✓ she hit the ball
Notice how natural the wrong versions feel. That is the -ed habit at work. Once you know these 11 verbs are exceptions, the habit stops causing trouble.
Your Turn — Quick Quiz
Five questions. Take your time — the table above is still there if you need it.
1. 1. Yesterday I ____ my finger while cooking.
2. 2. The tickets ____ £30 last week.
3. 3. How is the PAST tense of “read” pronounced?
4. 4. She ____ the letter on the table an hour ago.
5. 5. Which sentence is CORRECT?
Keep Going
Eleven verbs that ask nothing of you. That is a good deal.
But some verbs are generous in a different way: they give you two correct past forms. Dreamed or dreamt? Learned or learnt? Both are right — and which you choose says something about where you learned English.
Next lesson: Verbs with two past forms: dreamed or dreamt?
Sources
I’m Khamis Maiouf. English is not my first language – I learned it as an adult in the UK, passed Functional Skills Level 2 in English, qualified in Hairdressing at Level 3, and I’m now studying Business at university. For over five years I’ve taught ESOL classes in my community and tutored students through GCSE English. I write every lesson on this site myself, for the learner I used to be.
