Take note: sang and sung are not the same.
In this article, we’ll explain why sing is considered an irregular verb, show how and when to correctly use the words sang and sung, and provide examples of all three words being properly used in sentences.
🔊 Quick summary
Sang and sung are forms of the verb sing. Sang is the past tense form, as in I sang in an a cappella group in college. Sung is the past participle form. It’s used to form the perfect verb tenses (as in I have sung in a choir or She had sung with them on tour). Sung is also used together with forms of the auxiliary verb be to form the passive voice, as in This song is sung in a very high key. Sometimes, sung is used as the past tense form, as in I sung in an a cappella group in college. This use is sometimes considered nonstandard, but it’s quite common.
sang vs. sung
The words sang and sung are forms of the irregular verb sing. Sang is the past tense form and sung is the past participle form.
For example:
- She sang the national anthem before the game.
- We have sung karaoke together many times.
Sometimes, the word sung is also used as the past tense form. Some grammar resources consider this usage nonstandard, but it’s quite common.
For example:
- She sung the national anthem before the game.
A verb is typically considered to be an irregular verb if its past tense and/or past participle is formed without using the standard -ed or -d endings used in regular verbs. This is the case with sing: different forms are used for the past tense (sang) and the past participle (sung). Note: the past tense of the verb singe (pronounced [ sinj ]) is singed ( [sinjd] ), so be careful not to confuse it with a form of sing.
Because sung is the past participle, it’s used with the auxiliary verbs have, has, and had to form the perfect verb tenses. The verb phrase has sung is used with a third person singular subject (with the exception of singular they). The phrase have sung is used with any other subject, including first person singular/plural, second person singular/plural, and third person plural.
For example:
- He has sung in front of many major dignitaries.
- We have sung every song in that book!
- They had sung together since they were children.
As with other past participles, sung is the form used when using sing in the passive voice. When used this way, sung is accompanied by one of the forms of the helping verb be (is, was, are, etc.). The form of be that you use is determined by the subject and/or a modal verb.
For example:
- The funeral dirge is sung only by the elders of the clan.
- Hymns were sung by the entire congregation.
Similar verbs
Several other irregular verbs that also end in -ing follow either the same or a pattern similar to the one followed by the verb sing.
For example, spring follows the same exact pattern, with the past tense ending in -ang and the past participle ending in -ung:
| present tense | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| spring | sprang | sprung |
In other cases, both the past tense and the past participle are formed using -ung.
For example:
| present tense | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| string | strung | strung |
| sting | stung | stung |
| cling | clung | clung |
| sling | slung | slung |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| fling | flung | flung |
| swing | swung | swung |
However, not all verbs that end in -ing follow this pattern. Some are regular verbs that form the past tense and past participle simply by adding -ed, such as the verbs ping (pinged) and ding (dinged). An irregular example that changes in a different way is bring, which uses brought for both the past tense and past participle forms (the forms brang and brung are sometimes used colloquially or jokingly).
Some verbs that end in -ing and have multiple senses form the past tense and past participle in multiple ways. For example, depending on the sense being used, the past tense and past participle of the verb ring may be rang and rung or both may be ringed.
Examples of sing, sang, and sung used in a sentence
Now that we are warmed up, let’s belt out a few sentences that show the different ways we can use sing, sang, and sung.
- I like to sing in the shower.
- Do you know who sang the theme song?
- My cousin has sung in just about every band in town.
- After Freddy sang the first few words of the song, everyone started to sing along with him.
- She had sung in many different bands before starting her solo career.
- This song is supposed to be sung softly.
- When they have sung the final verse, turn on the house lights.
See how much you have learned with our quiz
Feeling good about your past tense forms? If so, you can take our quiz on these forms of the verb sing. You may surprise yourself with what you’ve learned!
