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- Sank and sunk are two conjugations of the verb sink, which means to descend or fall. Sank is the simple past tense conjugation of the verb. Sunk is the past participle. They cannot be interchanged; there are clear usage cases for each tense.
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Is it sank or sunk? Sank and sunk are two conjugations of the verb sink, which means to descend or fall. Sank is the simple past tense conjugation of the verb. Sunk is the past participle. They cannot be interchanged; there are clear usage cases for each tense.
Sank vs. sunk. Sank is the past tense (e.g., the ship sank to the bottom of the sea ). Sunk is the past participle, so it’s used in the perfect tenses (e.g., the ship has sunk to the bottom of the sea) and as an adjective ( the sunk ship is at the bottom of the sea ).
Jan 7, 2023 · Technically, sunk is the participle form of the verb sink, which means it joins with an auxiliary verb to convey tense, as is shown in the second sentence, i.e., ‘ have sunk ‘. The past participle also forms the passive voice, which takes on a sentence object.
Mar 28, 2024 · One of the key grammar pitfalls faced by learners is the confusion between ‘sank’ and ‘sunk’. Some people mistakenly believe that these terms can be used interchangeably; however, ‘sank’ and ‘sunk’ serve different grammatical functions based on their conjugation form.
May 24, 2019 · A: Both “sank” and “sunk” are standard past tenses for “sink” in American English, though “sank” is more common. This is true whether the verb is used transitively (with an object) or intransitively (without one). [Note: An earlier post on this subject appeared on Jan. 28, 2010.]
“Sank” is the past tense of the verb “sink,” which means to descend or fall to the bottom of a body of water or other liquid. For example, “The ship sank to the bottom of the ocean.” “Sunk” is the past participle of the verb “sink,” which is used with helping verbs such as “have” or “had.”
A common area of confusion arises with the verbs “sink,” “sank,” and “sunk.” These words are often used interchangeably, but they serve different grammatical purposes. In this article, we will dive deep into the usage of “sank” and “sunk,” providing clarity on their proper use in various contexts.
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