English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
Drank or Drunk?
He has not drank water (nonstandard).
He has not drunk water (standard).
He drank water (standard).
He did not drink water (standard).
Inasmuch as you wouldn’t say “he has not went”, it is equally wrong to say “he has not drank” since “drunk” is the past participle of “drink”. Note that the sense of “drunk” as the past participle of “drink” is different from its sense as an adjective which means “being affected by alcohol”:
He is drunk ✔️ (adjective; being affected by alcohol).
He hasn’t drunk water in days (verb; past participle of drink).
Similar expressions are:
I have never rode a bicycle. ✖️
I have never ridden a bicycle. ✔️
He hasn’t sang before. ✖️
He hasn’t sung before. ✔️
GAB
1 Comment
I love this class today