Drink, Drank, Drunk?

Kevin asks:

I am writing to ask you about the proper usage of the verb drink. More to the point, I'm wondering about the usage of drank versus drunk. It's one of those issues that no one I've talked to agrees upon, and I personally think drank is past tense, while drunk is (?) conditional. I drank a lot last night; I have drunk many beers today.

"Drink" is what grammarians call a "strong" verb that changes tense with an internal change; a "weak" verb just adds "ed" to the original verb. Strong verbs include "think/thought," "run/ran," "teach/taught," and "stink/stank." Weak verbs include "love/loved," "smile/smiled," and "ask/asked."

My dictionary says "drunk" is an archaic past tense of "drink." Several hundred years ago, we might have said "I drunk a lot last night." But now we'd say "I drank a lot last night," as you suggest.

"Drunk" is also a past participle of "drink," so it would be used as you suggest in your second example. And as a participle it is also a "verbal adjective" that can modify nouns and pronouns or even act as a noun itself:
He is a convicted drunk driver.
He is a lifelong drunk.

Comments

[Kevin]

Thanks, Crawford! I feel the need to brush up on my grammar.

[Doug Fisher]

Indeed, though noting that in many quarters drunken driver is preferred -- drunken as the adjectival form before the noun modified and drunk as the predicate adjective.

[Marsha L. Sopiecha]

Please tell me the plural of fish? In the dictionary it saids plural is fish's or fishes. When I look in the encyclopedia the use the term fishes alot help

[Chris]

Fish is the more commonly used plural form of fish.
Fishes is less commonly used, but is acceptable. It is most often used when referring to multiple fish of more than one species.
Fish's is not the plural of fish- it indicates possesion. For example, "The fish's gills are damaged."

[Laura]

How about using "neither" versus "either"? I transcribe for doctors, and this is one rule I just can't get straight in my head. I need to figure out a way to remember which to use when, because some of the docs use them indiscriminately.

[Maure]

Which is correct?

1. You have drank the remaining water in our canteen.

2. You have drunk the remaining water in our canteen.

Would you please explain way.

Maure Albert

[Anna Souza]

Isn't it correct to use the word "drunk" with a helping verb; e.g. I had already drunk 3 bottles of water before starting our walk today.

Please help me...these people I work with are driving me crazy.

[Crawford Kilian]

Anna, you're right. I drank the water, she drank the lemonade. But I have drunk the water, she has drunk the lemonade. With a helping verb, you use "drunk."

[Brian]

Perhaps this is splitting hairs, but how about in the following question?

Have you ever drank/drunk something green?

[Crawford Kilian]

Since you've got another helping verb ("have"), you should say "Have you ever drunk something green?"

[sandy]

drank vs drunk - which is right?

The champagne has been drank
or The champagne has been drunk

[Callie]

My question pertains to the use of who and whom. What are the guide lines to use who and whom. I would appreciate your response.

Thank You,

Callie

[Callie]

Looking for a guide line on how to use who and whom.

Thanks,

Callie

[Fridoun]

Please can you correct my poem
.............

I have drank stars
Lived in the western countries
Dreamt happiness
Loved beauties
Looked for the warmth of suns
Hoped for equalities

.........

..

kind regards
Fridoun

[Crawford Kilian]

The only correction I would make, Fridoun, is "I have drunk stars"

[MWoolley]

On Drank vs Drunk, is this phrase correct, or would I need to change it?

a half-drunk glass of water

[Crawford Kilian]

"Half-drunk glass of water" is perfectly OK.

[MWoolley]

Thank you.

[MU]

Thank you for your explanation of drunk vs. drank. But I still feel that somehow the sentence "this concoction is drunk at Christmas" is wrong. But "drank" doesn't seem to fit either. Which is correct?

[Crawford Kilian]

I understand your concern! But "drunk," however odd it sounds, is correct. Your best way out of this problem is to get out of passive voice and into active voice:

People drink this concoction at Christmas.

[Jason Johnston]

We were just having this discussion among staff members here so could you please tell me which is correct?

The water can be drunk.
The water can be drank.

It seems with the helping verb it would be "drunk." Correct?

Thanks!

Jason

[Crawford Kilian]

"Drunk" is correct, Jason.

[Tim, Pittsburgh, PA]

To me, it sounds like either (or neither) can be used.

[Jonathan Aldridge]

To: Laura
Re: Neither vs either

Since the two words are distinct, each should only be used in the appropriate situation. In logical terms, "either" would be used in conjunction with OR and BOTH and is an inclusive word. Neither should be used in conjunction with NOR and is an exclusive word.

"I would like to do either X or Y"
Both X and Y are things the speaker would like to do - either of them would be acceptable.

"I would like to do neither X nor Y"
Both X and Y are things the speaker does not want to do. Neither X nor Y would be acceptable.

To complete a logic table, the third possibility required would be "and".

| X | Y
-------------
and | 1 | 1
or | 1 | 0
or | 0 | 1
nor | 0 | 0

Probably a bit late to be helpful, but there you have it!

[LauraN]

Is this correct?

"I asked Ramirez how much alcohol he had drunk"? Ramirez stated that he had drunk two beers.