What makes a verb past tense By vowel spelling change?

You're asking about vowel changes in verbs to form the past tense, a phenomenon called ablaut or apophony. It's a fascinating aspect of English grammar that's not as prevalent as the more common "-ed" ending, but it's still important to understand.

Here's how it works:

1. The Root Vowel Changes:

- The key is that the root vowel of the verb changes to form the past tense.

- This change is irregular and doesn't follow a set rule. You just have to learn the patterns.

2. Examples of Vowel Changes:

* "Sing" becomes "Sang" (i -> a)

* "Begin" becomes "Began" (i -> a)

* "Swim" becomes "Swam" (i -> a)

* "Run" becomes "Ran" (u -> a)

* "Drink" becomes "Drank" (i -> a)

* "Fight" becomes "Fought" (i -> au)

* "Lie" (to recline) becomes "Lay" (i -> a)

* "Rise" becomes "Rose" (i -> o)

3. Why does this happen?

- This irregular change stems from the long history of the English language.

- These verbs often have Old English or even Proto-Germanic roots where vowel changes were more common.

- Over time, the "-ed" ending became the standard way to form the past tense, but these vowel changes persisted for certain verbs.

4. Common Patterns:

- While there's no exact formula, there are some common patterns:

- i -> a (sing/sang, begin/began, swim/swam, etc.)

- u -> a (run/ran)

- i -> o (rise/rose)

5. It's All About Memorization:

Unfortunately, there's no easy way to figure out these vowel changes. You just need to memorize the past tense forms of these verbs. It's like learning a new vocabulary word, but with an added twist.

In conclusion:

Vowel changes in past tense verbs are a remnant of older forms of English. They're irregular, but there are some patterns to look for. The best way to learn them is through practice and memorization.