Past Tense of Sing

When we use the word “sing” we generally mean one of two things, both connected with sounds. The first and most common usage describes the production of musical sound using the voice. The second describes high-pitched whistling, whining or perhaps buzzing sounds, usually made by inanimate objects.

The past tense of sing is “sang” and its past participle is “sung”. It’s important not to confuse the two.

What is the past tense of “sing”?

Infinitive	Simple Past	Past Participle
to sing	sang	sung

Sing (verb):

(1) To make musical noises with the voice; to produce the notes of a melody with the voice

(2) To make a whistling, buzzing or whining sound

• Infinitive                       to sing
• Simple Past                 sang
• Past Participle             sung

Conjugation Table of “sing”

Pronoun	Infinitive	Simple Past	Present Perfect	Present Continuous
I	sing	sang	have sung	am singing
You (sing.)	sing	sang	have sung	are singing
He/She/It	sings	sang	has sung	is singing
We	sing	sang	have sung	are singing
You (pl.)	sing	sang	have sung	are singing
They	sing	sang	have sung	are singing

Example Sentences of “sing”

(1) To make musical noises with the voice; to produce the notes of a melody with the voice

• He sang Ave Maria at the wedding, and everyone was in tears
• We sing hymns every morning at school before we start classes
• They are singing rather loudly, perhaps we could ask them to stop?

(2) To make a whistling, buzzing or whining sound

• As the water boiled, the kettle began to sing on the stove
• I hit the surface with a metal bar and a rich noise sang out
• Listen to those machines singing away, it’s an amazing sound!

Focus: Past Tense of Sing

We might not use the verb “sing” as often as some others, but it’s quite rare to find people who don’t enjoy either singing themselves, or listening to others sing. It’s hard not to admire those with lovely voices, after all.

To better help learners master the past tense of “sing” we have prepared some example sentences using the following tenses:

• Simple past
• Present perfect
• Past continuous
• Past perfect

Simple Past of “sing”

• Both children sang in the choir, and their parents were so proud of them
• He sang his heart out on America’s Got Talent, but unfortunately he just wasn’t good enough for the judges
• They sang the national anthem before the game started

Present Perfect of “sing”

• I think this kettle has sung its last note, we will have to replace it soon
• I have sung in this choir for so many years, so I don’t think I can quit now
• They have sung the song so many times that they are starting to hum it in their sleep!

Past Continuous of “sing”

• I was singing in the shower so I couldn’t hear the sound of the telephone ringing
• She was singing so loud in the office that her co-workers had to complain to her supervisor
• They were singing all afternoon yesterday, so it’s no wonder they have sore throats now

Past Perfect of “sing”

• You had sung that song on many occasions by that year, had you not? You must have gotten sick of it.
• We had just sung the national anthem when suddenly an eagle flew overhead. It was inspiring!

Understanding the Verb “Sing”

Originating from the Old English “singan,” “sing” is, unsurprisingly, about producing musical tones with the voice.

Phrasal Verbs with “Sing”

“Sing” contributes to various phrasal verbs:

• Sing along: To join in singing.
  • The audience sang along to the hit song.
  • We love to sing along to classic tunes on the radio.
• Sing out: To call or shout.
  • If you need anything, just sing out!
  • She sang out to get their attention.
• Sing up: To sing louder.
  • Sing up, so everyone can hear!
  • The choir director asked the tenors to sing up.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common missteps tied to “sing”:

• Incorrect: She sing beautifully at the concert.
• Correct: She sang beautifully at the concert.

• Incorrect: They has sung together for years.
• Correct: They have sung together for years.

We also have a full list of irregular verbs from A – Z on the site which you can access from the link here.

You can check other past tense words and our past tense resources by clicking on the links in the table below and in the resource list below that.

Table 2: Table of Links for irregular Past Tense Verbs

bend	meet	copy	beat
lay	draw	buy	Fly
Drink	Think	wear	dive
rise	dream	Speak	bite
bear	begin	freeze	sink
get	give	take	sing
learn	keep	find	be
say	catch	eat	come
go	know	do	cut
drive	fall	let	make
pay	read	build	become

We also have articles and worksheets which we will link examples of below, and if you need more you can try the search box.

• Free Simple Past Tense Worksheets
• irregular verb list
• Simple Present Tense Worksheets
• Regular and irregular past tense worksheets
• Free online past tense games.
• Present perfect tense worksheets
• Simple Future tense worksheets
• Simple Past tense ‘ed’ ending rules and handouts