Sang vs. Sung
“Sang” is the simple past form of “sing”; “sung” is the past participle. That means “she sang yesterday” but “she has sung before” and “the song was sung live.” Auxiliary “have/has/had” and passive “be” constructions call for the participle “sung.”
Use “sang” for simple past without an auxiliary: “They sang.” Use “sung” after have/has/had or in passive constructions: “They have sung” and “It was sung.”
Key details
Further guidance
Diagnostic
If “have/has/had” directly governs the form of sing, choose “sung,” not “sang.”
Participle
Use “sung” with perfect auxiliaries such as have/has/had and in passive constructions with forms of be.
Simple Past
Use “sang” as the past-simple form when the verb stands as the finite past verb: “She sang.”
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.
- Sing — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb paradigm showing sing, past sang, and past participle sung.