

To review: a strong verb forms a past tense through vowel changes. For example, drincan ‘to drink’ becomes dranc (1st person singular preterite), druncon (plural preterite), and (ge)druncen (past participle).
A weak verb forms a past tense by adding d (or sometimes t). For example, fremman ‘to perform, do’ becomes fremede, fremedon, and gefremed.
With these things in mind, see below.
1. agan to own, possess, have power over
| Present | Past | ||
| ic ah | we agon | ic ahte | we ahton |
| þu ahst | ge agon | þu ahtest | ge ahton |
| he ah | hie agon | he ahte | hie ahton |
2. cunnan can, to know how to
| Present | Past | ||
| ic cann | we cunnon | ic cuþe | we cuþon |
| þu canst | ge cunnon | þu cuþest | ge cuþon |
| he cann | hie cunnon | he cuþe | hie cuþon |
3. dugan to avail, be of use, be good
| Present | Past | ||
| ic deah | we dugon | ic dohte | we dohton |
| -- | ge dugon | þu dohtest | ge dohton |
| he deah | hie dugon | he dohte | hi dohton |
The rest follow the same pattern:
| Present | Past | ||||
| 1&3 pers | 2nd pers | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| 4. durran to dare | dearr | dearst | durron | dorste | dorston |
| 5. gemunan remember | geman | gemanst | gemunon | gemunde | gemundon |
| 6. magan to be able | mæg | meaht | magon | mihte / meahte | mihton / meahton |
| 7. motan may | mot | most | moton | moton | moston |
| 8. sculan must | sceal | scealt | sculon | sceolde | sceoldon |
| 9. þurfan to need | þearf | þearft | þurfon | þorfte | þorfton |
| 10. witan to know | wat | wast | witon | wiste / wisse | wiston / wisson |
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Page created by Dr Jennifer Neville |