Using sang/sung?

Question

When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area.Examples, please.Thanks,Mark

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area.[/nq]
"Sang" is the simple past: "He sang at our wedding last year", "They sang carols round the Christmas tree as soon as the light were turned on".

"Sung" is the past/perfect participle: "I have never sung that before", "When they had sung the last piece, they went home".

"Sung" can also be used, as can most part/perfect participles, as if it were an adjective: "This piece, often sung at weddings, is actually rather too difficult for the amateurs who attempt it".
A common mistake is to use "sung" for the simple past, where "sung" is required.
It might help if you remembered where you need "ran" and "run", since they work in the same way as "sang" and "sung" but are not often confused.

Alan Jones

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[nq:1]When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area.[/nq]
"Sang" is the usual past tense for "sing." "Sung" is sometimes used for the past tense, but that use is found "now rarely" (Chambers), so much so that many dictionaries (e.g., COD10) don't list it. "Sung" is always right as the past participle.
[nq:1]Examples, please.[/nq]
She sang for her supper.
She said that she had sung for her supper

Martin Ambuhl

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[nq:1]When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area. Examples, please.[/nq]
You don't specify which usage you prefer (of the British v. the US usage). I speak using a fairly standard US usage.
sink, sing, drink.
I sang for my father. I have, however, sung for my mother. The song being sung (passive voice) is "Rock of Ages". Also (though not in my usage): I sung for my father.
As early as 1969, American Heritage Dictionary recognized "sung" as an alternate to "sang", for the simple past tense, or preterite. (I object to this, but I find with dismay that it (sung) is growing more common as time goes by. Ditto for "sunk", only more so. It seems that CNN announcers have some kind of style sheet for pronunciations and word choices, for I never hear any of them say "the boat sank", but always "it sunk".)
For "drunk" as simple past tense, AMH has it as obsolete, but still as a variant. In the US it is considered slovenly usage, and "ungrammatical".

A freebie: I detest using "sunk, sung, drunk" as the simple past tense forms. On the other hand, when it comes to saying that something stinks, in the past tense, I find myself saying "It stunk", rather than "It stank". M-W Online has "stank" as the first variant, usually interpreted as preferred. However, a person in my family and conversational group would cause eyebrows to go up if he were to say "It stank".

M-W Online reflects similar usage patterns to those of AmHD. On the other hand, "spin", as in another thread, does not apparently have any alternate to "spun" as simple past tense, according to M-W Online.

Pat
durkinpa at msn.com
Wisconsin

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Sorry - lots of slips in last posting. I shouldn't type when tired.

Alan Jones

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[nq:2]When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area. Examples, please.[/nq]
[nq:1]You don't specify which usage you prefer (of the British v. the US usage). I speak using a fairly standard ... is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.557 / Virus Database: 349 - Release Date: 12/30/03[/nq]
This all started with "drunk." People seemed to be uneasy at using a word they associated with the town sot as a verb so they started using "drank" as the past participle as well as the simple past.

It spread to other i/a/u verbs the next one I noticed was "swim" but with those, past participle and past exchanged places.

And now it's spreading beyond, to other irregular verbs.

Cece

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[nq:2]When is it proper to use sang as opposed to sung? I have a real problem in this area. Examples, please.[/nq]
[nq:1]You don't specify which usage you prefer (of the British v. the US usage). I speak using a fairly standard ... song being sung (passive voice) is "Rock of Ages". Also (though not in my usage): I sung for my father.[/nq]
The last one sounds terrible.
Swum is one of the jamais vu words. It seems like I"ve never seen it. But, "I have swam" is also terrible, so that leaves swum as the only thing I can think of that would be correct. It must be that I rarely hear the verb at all, or I just don't pay attention during sports news.
[nq:1]As early as 1969, American Heritage Dictionary recognized "sung" as an alternate to "sang", for the simple past tense, or ... for pronunciations and word choices, for I never hear any of them say "the boat sank", but always "it sunk".)[/nq]
All these alternates sound terrible to me. I've lived all over the NorthEast US, as you can see.
[nq:1]For "drunk" as simple past tense, AMH has it as obsolete, but still as a variant. In the US it is considered slovenly usage, and "ungrammatical".[/nq]
Darn right, and drunks are very often slovenly, so it fits.
[nq:1]A freebie: I detest using "sunk, sung, drunk" as the simple past tense forms. On the other hand, when it comes to saying that something stinks, in the past tense, I find myself saying "It stunk", rather than "It stank".[/nq]
I prefer stank, but stunk does not bother me as much as the others.
[nq:1]M-W Online has "stank" as the first variant, usually interpreted as preferred. However, a person in my family and conversational ... as in another thread, does not apparently have any alternate to "spun" as simple past tense, according to M-W Online.[/nq]
Thank goodness.
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years

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Most people seem to have already given up on 'swang' and 'sprang', prefering their grammar simple not useful.
Indeed, somebody once had the nerve to correct me from 'swang' to 'swung'!
An aside: whatever happened to 'hung'? I loved that word, rest its soul...
Thanks
Joseph

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[nq:2]The last one sounds terrible. Swum is one of the ... Chicago, 6 years Brooklyn NY 12 years Baltimore 20 years[/nq]
[nq:1]Most people seem to have already given up on 'swang' and 'sprang', prefering their grammar simple not useful. Indeed, somebody ... me from 'swang' to 'swung'! An aside: whatever happened to 'hung'? I loved that word, rest its soul... Thanks Joseph[/nq]
Nothing happened to it.
The picture hangs over the fireplace.
It used to hang over the sofa.
It once hung by the door.
But people can't be "hung," only "hanged."
Carter Jefferson
http://carterj.homestead.com/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The picture hangs over the fireplace. It used to hang over the sofa. It once hung by the door. But people can't be "hung," only "hanged."[/nq]
Tell that to Michael Jackson's baby son.

Bob Lieblich
Ashamed of himself

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[nq:2](...so on and so forth...) An aside: whatever happened to 'hung'? I loved that word, rest its soul... Thanks Joseph[/nq]
Why can't people be hung? I don't see any reason against it..

They hung Mussolini by his feet. And they hung **** Turpin also. (Not the same people doing the hanging naturally.)
Thanks
Joseph

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