The History of Irregularity in English

The most commonly used words in a language are the most likely to have some sort of irregularity. So like we have go and went and classic examples in English, it looks like the entire paradigm for to be is a solution. No, it's not. Well, well, the past is a good part of it. And is and are all perfectly regular developments of an ancient, ancient paradigm in English. The pastents and the subjunctives are have other history.