What Is The Past Tense of Drink?
The past tense of "drink" is "drank" for simple past and "drunk" for the past participle.
Understanding the Verb "Drink"
The verb "drink" means to consume liquid. It's an irregular verb, which means its past tense forms do not follow the typical "-ed" pattern.
Here are some examples of "drink" in present tense sentences:
I drink coffee every morning.
She drinks water after her workout.
They drink tea in the afternoon.
The Simple Past Tense: "Drank"
"Drank" is the simple past tense form of "drink." It describes an action that occurred in the past.
For example:
Yesterday, I drank a lot of water.
He drank coffee before his meeting.
We drank tea at the café.
Common contexts where "drank" is used include recounting past events or activities:
She drank a glass of milk with her breakfast.
They drank wine at the party last night.
To use "drank" correctly:
Remember that "drank" does not need auxiliary verbs.
It stands alone to indicate past actions.
The Past Participle: "Drunk"
"Drunk" is the past participle form of "drink." It is used with auxiliary verbs such as "have," "has," and "had."
For example:
I have drunk three cups of tea today.
She has drunk all her juice.
They had drunk all the water before the hike.
In these sentences, "drunk" indicates an action completed at some point before now:
He has drunk too much coffee this week.
We had drunk all the lemonade by the time the guests arrived.
Use "drunk" in perfect tenses:
Present perfect: I have drunk.
Past perfect: I had drunk.
Future perfect: I will have drunk.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Learners often confuse "drank" and "drunk."
Here are some rules to help:
Use "drank" for simple past tense: "I drank."
Use "drunk" with auxiliary verbs: "I have drunk."
To avoid mistakes, practice using both forms in sentences:
Incorrect: I have drank water.
Correct: I have drunk water.
Common errors:
Incorrect: He drunk a lot yesterday.
Correct: He drank a lot yesterday.
Practice Exercises
Fill in the blanks with the correct form (drank or drunk):
I (drink) ______ coffee yesterday.
She (have) ______ all her water by noon.
They (drink) ______ tea at the event last night.
He has (drink) ______ too much soda today.
We (drink) ______ all the milk in the fridge.
She had (drink) ______ her juice before the meeting.
Answers:
drank
had drunk
drank
drunk
drank
drunk