以前谈过了动词形态的错误，这种错误屡见不鲜，是英语错误中常见的一种。因为这缘故，很多英语考试，都会有一项动词形式选择或改正的试题。

　　从观察所得，动词形态错误的一个原因是不规则动词的混淆所引起的。

　　这里便举些例子谈谈。

　　㈠ Hang

　　这动词有两个主要意思，就是“悬挂”和“吊死”。前者的过去式和过去分词是hung，如：

① Mr Lim hung a newly bought oil painting on the wall.

② Who has hung the dirty clothes on the tree?

　　Hang当“吊死”时用，它的过去式和过去分词是hanged，如：

③ The prisoner hanged himself in the prison.

④ Drug-traffickers, if arrested, will be hanged.

　　如果贸贸然用hung代替hanged或以hanged取代hung就会令人莫名其妙，如：

⑤ The murderer was caught and hung.

⑥ How can such a nice painting be hanged in the kitchen?

　　㈡ Lie

　　这动词的常见意思是“说谎”和“躺下”。前者的过去式和过去分词是lied；后者的是lay和lain。

　　若不小心，把两个动词的形式搞乱了，很可能会有这样的错误：

⑦ The puppy lied on the carpet and slept.

⑧ Have you lain to your good friend?

　　⑦里的应为lay；⑧里的是lied.

　　提到lay，它也是原动词，意思是“生产”或“摆设”；过去式和过去分词都是laid，如：

⑨ That hen has laid its first egg.

⑩ Mother laid the table for dinner.

　　㈢ Speed

　　当“急驰”时，这动词的过去式和过去分词是sped；和up连用当 “加速”解时，则用speeded，如：

The boy ran out of doors and sped down the main road.

The new scheme has speeded up the administrative process.

　　㈣ Bear

　　这动词有几个意思，包括“生产”和“出生”，过去形式是bore ，过去分词是born/borne，如：

Pat has borne two lovely children.

Lily was born after Singapore's independence.

　　Born只用在“出生”这意思上，其余的要用borne，如：

The Government's investments abroad have borne fruit.（结果）

David has borne with the unfriendly criticisms with tremendous courage.（忍受）