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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage

"sang by" - or "sung by"?

i'm certain that:
active: "x sang y"
passive: "y was sung by x"
are correct,
and that "y was sang by x",
sounds horrible;
but is it 'incorrect'?
Google counts:
"sang by" 16900
"sung by" 485000
  

Top answer

[nq:1]i'm certain that: active: "x sang y" passive: "y was sung by x" are correct, and that "y was sang by x", sounds horrible; but is it 'incorrect'? Google counts: "sang by" 16900 "sung by" 485000[/nq] Yes, it's incorrect, but the form "I've sang"/"I've went"/"I've ate" etc. is widely heard among the under-educated, and is so common in some areas (I've mentioned Scotland and NE England before) that I'd consider it to be part of the dialect of those areas.

— Usenet

  • [nq:1]i'm certain that: active: "x sang y" passive: "y was sung by x" are correct, and that "y was sang by x", sounds horrible; but is it 'incorrect'?
  • Google counts: "sang by" 16900 "sung by" 485000[/nq] Yes, it's incorrect, but the form "I've sang"/"I've went"/"I've ate" etc.
  • is widely heard among the under-educated, and is so common in some areas (I've mentioned Scotland and NE England before) that I'd consider it to be part of the dialect of those areas.
  • Adrian
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22 Answers
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[nq:1]i'm certain that: active: "x sang y" passive: "y was sung by x" are correct, and that "y was sang by x", sounds horrible; but is it 'incorrect'? Google counts: "sang by" 16900 "sung by" 485000[/nq]
Yes, it's incorrect, but the form "I've sang"/"I've went"/"I've ate" etc. is widely heard among the under-educated, and is so common in some areas (I've mentioned Scotland and NE England befor
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[nq:2]i'm certain that: active: "x sang y" passive: "y was ... 'incorrect'? Google counts: "sang by" 16900 "sung by" 485000[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, it's incorrect, but the form "I've sang"/"I've went"/"I've ate" etc.is widely heard among the under-educated, and is so common in some areas(I've mentioned Scotland and NE England before) that I'd consider it to be partof the dialect of those areas.[/nq]
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[nq:1]i'm certain that: active: "x sang y" passive: "y was sung by x" are correct, and that "y was sang by x", sounds horrible; but is it 'incorrect'?[/nq]
Yes.
[nq:1]Google counts: "sang by" 16900 "sung by" 485000[/nq]
There's nothing wrong with "Dave sang 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon'..."
Passives are made by using the past participle. Verbs have three forms - present, past,
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[nq:1]"Ate" was the standard past participle well into the nineteenth century. I believe it was pronounced with the same vowel as "eat."[/nq]
What vowel was that?
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[nq:1]"Ate" was the standard past participle well into the nineteenth century. I believe it was pronounced with the same vowel as "eat."[/nq]
Where do you find that? I'm no good at OED under artificial light, but I don't seem to find it as standard.
Mike.
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[nq:2]"Ate" was the standard past participle well into the nineteenth century.I believe it was pronounced with the same vowel as "eat."[/nq]
[nq:1]What vowel was that?[/nq]
Yes, I am wondering what Jess is Believin'. When I hear some Brits speaking, using the most erudite vocabulary, I notice that some (maybe all. . .who can recall), pronounce "ate" as we do with the vowel in "bet", i.e. "
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[nq:1]I[/nq]
[nq:2]What vowel was that?[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I am wondering what Jess is Believin'. When I hear some Brits speaking, using the most erudite vocabulary, ... . .who can recall), pronounce "ate" as we do with the vowel in "bet", i.e. "et" (also in et cetera).[/nq]
This was discussed here recently the consensus seems to be that "et" is increasingly an old-fashionedism in BrE.
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[nq:2]I Yes, I am wondering what Jess is Believin'. ... with the vowel in "bet",i.e. "et" (also in et cetera).[/nq]
[nq:1]This was discussed here recently the consensus seems to be that "et" is increasingly an old-fashionedism in BrE.[/nq]
Missed that thread, then. Thanks. Looks as though I will have to stop using Coward, Sanders and Niven as models.
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[nq:2]This was discussed here recently the consensus seems to be that "et" is increasingly an old-fashionedism in BrE.[/nq]
[nq:1]Missed that thread, then. Thanks. Looks as though I will have to stop using Coward, Sanders and Niven as models.[/nq]
It may be increasingly old-fashioned (I don't know) but I do know it's still used. I've heard it in person and on TV.
It's hard to judge a p
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[nq:1]It may be increasingly old-fashioned (I don't know) but I do know it's still used. I've heard it in person and on TV.[/nq]
I heard a BrE RP speaker pronounce "ate" as /Et/ a week or so ago on NPR.
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