Tear (irregular verb)
From Hull AWE
This page is about the irregular verb 'to tear'. It has the same vowel as 'air' and 'bear' (IPA: /eɪər/), and means 'making a split, or hole, in clothes, paper etc'. (You may want to consult AWE's page on some homographs at Tear - tier.)
'To tear' is an irregular verb. Its forms are given here:
| Base form | past tense | -ed participle | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| tear | tore | torn |
- This is one of the "the 250 or so irregular verbs" listed in Quirk 1985. The list "contains most of the irregular verbs in present-day English ... but is not meant to be exhaustive, particularly with regard to derivative verbs." AWE has copied most of the entries in that list. The verb 'to tear' belongs to Quirk's Class 4 A b.
For a note on the meaning, and some words that may confuse you, go to Tear - tier.
