PAST TENSE—PAST PARTICIPLE

  The interchange of these two parts of the irregular or so-called strong verbs is, perhaps, the breach often committed by careless speakers and writers. To avoid mistakes it is requisite to know the principal parts of these verbs, and this knowledge is very easy of acquirement, as there are not more than a couple of hundred of such verbs, and of this number but a small part is in daily use. Here are some of the most common blunders: "I seen" for "I saw?" "I done it" for "I did it?""I drunk" for "I drank?" "I begun" for "I began?" "I rung" for "I rang?" "I run" for "I ran?" "I sung" for "I sang?" "I have chose" for "I have chosen?" "I have drove" for "I have driven?" "I have wore" for "I have worn?" "I have trod" for "I have trodden?""I have shook" for "I have shaken?" "I have fell" for "I have fallen?" "I have drank"for "I have drunk?" "I have began" for "I have begun?" "I have rang" for "I have rung?" "I have rose" for "I have risen?"

  "I have spoke" for "I have spoken?" "I have broke" for "I have broken." "It has froze" for "It has frozen." "It has blowed" for "It has blown." "It has flowed" (of a bird) for "It has flown."

  N.B.—The past tense and past participle of To Hang is hanged or hung. When you are talking about a man meeting death on the gallows, say "He was hanged"? when you are talking about the carcass of an animal say, "It was hung," as "The beef was hung dry." Also say your coat "was hung on a hook."