Past Tense of String
“String” follows the pattern string → strung → strung. The same inflected form serves a finite simple-past clause and a past-participle construction; surrounding grammar identifies the role. This guide concerns the verb “string”; the much more common noun “string” is a separate grammatical role.
The simple past and past participle of “string” are both “strung.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed action in simple past | strung | Use “strung.” |
| past participle after have/has/had | strung | Use “strung.” |
| present/base-form context | string | Use “string” when a past form is not required. |
Quick tests
Verb-form test
Do you need the simple past or past participle of “string”?
If yes: Use “strung.”
If no: Use “string” or the appropriate present form when the sentence is not past.
Caveat: Both simple past and past participle are “strung.” This guide concerns the verb “string”; the much more common noun “string” is a separate grammatical role.
Examples
They strung lights across the patio.
“Strung” is the simple past of the verb.
The cables had been strung between the poles.
“Strung” is the past participle in a passive perfect construction.
We string the decorations along the railing each year.
The present form is “string.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “strung” for both the simple past and the past participle.
Fast Test
If the sentence needs a past form or participle, choose “strung”; use “string” or the appropriate present form in present-time contexts.
Usage Boundary
Both simple past and past participle are “strung.” This guide concerns the verb “string”; the much more common noun “string” is a separate grammatical role.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- STRING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Merriam-Webster records strung as the inflected past form of the verb string.
- STRING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge records strung as both the past tense and past participle of the verb string.