Old English strong verbs are inflected not only in endings that indicate person and number, but also by internal changes that indicate tense.  The ablaut series indicates internal vowel shifts in strong verbs. In this chart, the ablaut series is listed by class and tense.

	Infinitive	Pret. Sg.	Pret. Pl.	Past Participle
1.	ī	ā	i	i
2.	ēo	ēa	u	o
3.	*i	*a	*u	*u
4.	e	æ	æ	o
5.	e	æ	æ	e
6.	a	ō	ō	a
7.	ā	ē	ē	ā

 

Strong verbs  conjugate regularly as well as shifting internally.  Below are paradigms of each of the seven classes of strong verbs, indicating ablaut changes between present and preterite tenses and endings for all three cases in both singular and plural forms.

Class I

drifan – to drive

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	drife	draf
2	drifest	drife
3	drifeþ	draf
Pl.    1	drifaþ	drifon
2	drifaþ	drifon
3	drifaþ	drifon

 

Class II

ceosan – to choose

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	ceose	ceas
2	ceosest	cure
3	ceoseþ	ceas
Pl.    1	ceosaþ	curon
2	ceosaþ	curon
3	ceosaþ	curon

 

Class III

feohtan – to fight

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	feohte	feaht
2	feohtest	fuhte
3	feohteþ	feaht
Pl.    1	feohtaþ	fuhton
2	feohtaþ	fuhton
3	feohtaþ	fuhton

 

Class IV

beran – to bear

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	bere	bær
2	berest	bære
3	bereþ	bær
Pl.    1	beraþ	bæron
2	beraþ	bæron
3	beraþ	bæron

 

Class V

biddan – to bid

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	bidde	bæd
2	biddest	bæde
3	biddeþ	bæd
Pl.    1	biddaþ	bædon
2	biddaþ	bædon
3	biddaþ	bædon

pleon – to expose to danger

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	pleoh	pleah
2	pliehst	plæge
3	pliehþ	pleah
Pl.    1	pleoþ	plægon
2	pleoþ	plægon
3	pleoþ	plægon

 

Class VI

faran – to go

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	fare	for
2	farest	fore
3	fareþ	for
Pl.    1	faraþ	foron
2	faraþ	foron
3	faraþ	foron

 

Class VII

hatan – to command

Person	Present	Preterite
Sg.   1	hate	het
2	hatest	hete
3	hateþ	het
Pl.    1	hataþ	heton
2	hataþ	heton
3	hataþ	heton

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