Class VII Strong Verbs
Class VII verbs are the most irregular group of strong verbs. They can have an (a/o/ea/æ/e + consonant) in the infinitive. Examples of class VII strong verbs are, 'hatan - to order/be called', 'blawan - to blow', 'hleapan - to leap' and 'growan - to grow'. When they conjugate, they either they take an 'ē' or an 'ēo' in both the past singular and past plural. For example, examine the verbs 'hatan - to order' and 'cnawan - to know' in the sentences below.
Subject
Verb
Object
Subject
Verb
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Subject
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Subject
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Subject
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Subject
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Object
Because of the wide range of verbs that fall into this class, it is the most commonly encountered. Many of these verbs should be recognisable to an English speaker, and they have generally kept their vowel change, though usually it has been simplified to a single 'e'. For example the vowel changes in 'grow' and 'grew', 'leap' and 'lept', 'know' and 'knew' and 'fall' and 'fell' in modern English all derive from Old English class VII strong verbs.
| Strong Verbs Class VII | ||||
| Present Tense | Past Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Ic hate | Ic het | ||
| 2nd Person Singular | Þu hætst | Þu hete | ||
| 3rd Person Singular | He/Hit/Heo hætt | He/Hit/Heo het | ||
| Plural | We/Ge/Hie hataþ | We/Ge/Hie heton | ||
| Participles | hatende | (ge)haten | ||
| Strong Verbs Class VII | ||||
| Present Tense | Past Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Ic blawe | Ic bleow | ||
| 2nd Person Singular | Þu blæwst | Þu bleowe | ||
| 3rd Person Singular | He/Hit/Heo blæwþ | He/Hit/Heo bleow | ||
| Plural | We/Ge/Hie blawaþ | We/Ge/Hie bleowon | ||
| Participles | blawende | (ge)blawen | ||
| Strong Verbs Class VII | ||||
| Present Tense | Past Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Ic hleape | Ic hleop | ||
| 2nd Person Singular | Þu hliepst | Þu hleope | ||
| 3rd Person Singular | He/Hit/Heo hliepþ | He/Hit/Heo hleop | ||
| Plural | We/Ge/Hie hleapaþ | We/Ge/Hie hleopon | ||
| Participles | hleapende | (ge)hleapen | ||
| Strong Verbs Class VII | ||||
| Present Tense | Past Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Ic growe | Ic greow | ||
| 2nd Person Singular | Þu grewst | Þu greowe | ||
| 3rd Person Singular | He/Hit/Heo grewþ | He/Hit/Heo greow | ||
| Plural | We/Ge/Hie growaþ | We/Ge/Hie greowon | ||
| Participles | growende | (ge)growen | ||
| Strong Verbs Class VII | ||||
| Present Tense | Past Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Ic cnawe | Ic cneow | ||
| 2nd Person Singular | Þu cnæwst | Þu cneowe | ||
| 3rd Person Singular | He/Hit/Heo cnæwþ | He/Hit/Heo cneow | ||
| Plural | We/Ge/Hie cnawaþ | We/Ge/Hie cneowon | ||
| Participles | cnawende | (ge)cnawen | ||
You can practice Class VII verbs below - and remember that the aim is not to learn these vowel changes off by heart, but to be able to recognise and understand a form when you encounter it.
Return to Strong Verbs VI Continue to Strong Verbs Overview