Hang-up past tense

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Meaning of hang-up

end a phone call.

Infinitive

Word: hang /hæŋ/
Examples:
  • 1. Every evening, she hangs up her coat on the hook by the door as soon as she gets home.
  • 2. If you finish your call before I do, please hang up gently to avoid any noise.
  • 3. He always hangs up his keys on the small rack beside the entrance so he doesn't lose them.

Past Simple

Word: hung up /hʌŋ ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. As soon as she realized who was calling, she hung up the phone immediately.
  • 2. He hung up the coat on the rack as he entered the house.
  • 3. After a brief conversation, they hung up and agreed to meet in person.

Past Participle

Word: hung up /ˈhʌŋ ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. The phone was hung up abruptly, ending the conversation.
  • 2. The calls had been hung up before any message could be relayed.
  • 3. By the time I arrived, the clothes had already been hung up to dry.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines.
    Example. He hangs up his coat in the same spot every day.
    Example. A proper painting hangs level on the wall.
    Example. The exhibition hangs next week.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. He hangs up his coat in the same spot every day.
    Example. A proper painting hangs level on the wall.
    Example. The exhibition hangs next week.
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (often used with timetables or schedules).
    Example. He hangs up his coat in the same spot every day.
    Example. A proper painting hangs level on the wall.
    Example. The exhibition hangs next week.

Past Simple

  1. Actions completed in the past at a specific time.
    Example. She hung up the phone abruptly yesterday.
    Example. He hung his clothes to dry and then left for work.
    Example. We always hung our stockings by the fireplace each Christmas when I was a kid.
    Example. The tapestry hung on that wall before the renovation.
  2. A sequence of completed actions in the past.
    Example. She hung up the phone abruptly yesterday.
    Example. He hung his clothes to dry and then left for work.
    Example. We always hung our stockings by the fireplace each Christmas when I was a kid.
    Example. The tapestry hung on that wall before the renovation.
  3. Past habits or routines.
    Example. She hung up the phone abruptly yesterday.
    Example. He hung his clothes to dry and then left for work.
    Example. We always hung our stockings by the fireplace each Christmas when I was a kid.
    Example. The tapestry hung on that wall before the renovation.
  4. Past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
    Example. She hung up the phone abruptly yesterday.
    Example. He hung his clothes to dry and then left for work.
    Example. We always hung our stockings by the fireplace each Christmas when I was a kid.
    Example. The tapestry hung on that wall before the renovation.

Past Participle

  1. Used with have/has/had to form perfect tenses.
    Example. She has hung up all the posters already.
    Example. The jury has hung, indicating they cannot reach a unanimous decision.
    Example. By the time they arrived, the painting had already been hung.
    Example. By tomorrow, all the artwork will have been hung for the show.
  2. Present Perfect Tense. Actions which happened at an undetermined time in the past.
    Example. She has hung up all the posters already.
    Example. The jury has hung, indicating they cannot reach a unanimous decision.
    Example. By the time they arrived, the painting had already been hung.
    Example. By tomorrow, all the artwork will have been hung for the show.
  3. Present Perfect Tense. Actions in the past that affect the present moment.
    Example. She has hung up all the posters already.
    Example. The jury has hung, indicating they cannot reach a unanimous decision.
    Example. By the time they arrived, the painting had already been hung.
    Example. By tomorrow, all the artwork will have been hung for the show.
  4. Past Perfect Tense. Actions completed before a certain point in the past.
    Example. She has hung up all the posters already.
    Example. The jury has hung, indicating they cannot reach a unanimous decision.
    Example. By the time they arrived, the painting had already been hung.
    Example. By tomorrow, all the artwork will have been hung for the show.
  5. Future Perfect Tense. Actions that will be completed before a specified time in the future.
    Example. She has hung up all the posters already.
    Example. The jury has hung, indicating they cannot reach a unanimous decision.
    Example. By the time they arrived, the painting had already been hung.
    Example. By tomorrow, all the artwork will have been hung for the show.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is confusing the past forms of 'hang' when used in the phrasal verb 'hang up.' While 'hung up' is the correct past tense and past participle form for ending a phone call or quitting something, some might mistakenly use 'hanged up' due to the dual past forms of 'hang.' 'Hanged' is specifically used for execution by hanging, which leads to confusion. The error reflects a misunderstanding of the context-specific usage of 'hung' versus 'hanged.'

— 02

Applying wrong ending

Another mistake involves attempting to regularize 'hang up' by adding '-ed' to the end, resulting in an incorrect 'hang upped' form. This error arises from applying the rule that typically applies to regular verbs for forming the past tense and past participle by adding '-ed.' It shows a lack of familiarity with the correct irregular past tense and past participle form 'hung up' for this phrasal verb.

— 03

Omitting the particle

Some learners might mistakenly drop the 'up' in the past form, saying 'I hung the phone' instead of the correct 'I hung up the phone.' This mistake comes from overlooking the importance of the particle 'up' in the phrasal verb 'hang up,' which changes the meaning of the verb 'hang.' Omitting 'up' can lead to confusion or a change in meaning, as 'hang' alone does not convey the specific action of ending a call or stopping something.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'hang up'?

The past simple form of 'hang up' is 'hung up.' This form is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. For example, 'I hung up the phone after we said goodbye.'

What is the past participle form of 'hang up'?

The past participle form of 'hang up' is also 'hung up.' This form is used in perfect tenses to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past. For example, 'I have hung up the clothes to dry.'

How do I use 'hung up' in a sentence correctly?

To use 'hung up' correctly, you need to consider the tense and context of your sentence. For a simple past action, you might say, 'She hung up the phone abruptly.' For a perfect tense, indicating a completed action, you could say, 'He had hung up his coat before he noticed the stain.'

Can 'hang up' be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts?

Yes, 'hang up' can be used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it refers to placing something on a hook or hanger or ending a phone call. Metaphorically, it can refer to discontinuing or quitting something, such as a habit or a line of thought. For example, 'After years of debate, they finally hung up their disagreement' or 'I need to hang up my doubts and move forward.' In both its literal and metaphorical uses, the past simple and past participle forms are 'hung up.'