What is the Difference Between Began and Begun?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between "began" and "begun" lies in their grammatical functions and the context in which they are used. Both words are derived from the verb "begin," but they serve different purposes:
- Began: This is the past tense form of "begin" and is used to describe actions or events that started and ended in the past. It is used as a standalone verb in a sentence, without the need for an auxiliary verb.
- Begun: This is the past participle form of "begin" and is used to form the present perfect tense (have/has begun) and the past perfect tense (had begun). It is also used in passive voice constructions.
Examples of "began" and "begun" in sentences include:
- The project began two weeks ago.
- Our team began working on the proposal last week.
- The concert had just begun when we arrived.
In summary, "began" is the past tense form of "begin" used to describe actions or events that started and ended in the past, while "begun" is the past participle form used to form the present perfect and past perfect tenses and in passive voice constructions.
Comparative Table: Began vs Begun
The difference between "began" and "begun" lies in their grammatical functions and tenses. Here is a table summarizing their differences:
Form | Tense | Function | Example |
---|---|---|---|
BEGIN | Present | Present tense form of the verb "begin" | BEGIN takes the present tense form. |
BEGINNING | Present participle | Present participle form of the verb "begin" | BEGINNING takes the present participle form. |
BEGINS | Present | Third person singular form of the verb "begin" | BEGINS takes the third person singular form. |
BEGINNINGS | Noun | Plural noun form | BEGINNINGS takes the plural noun form. |
BEGAN | Simple past | Simple past tense form of the verb "begin" | I BEGAN writing a letter yesterday. |
BEGIN | Present | Present tense form of the verb "begin" | BEGIN takes the present tense form. |
BEGINNING | Present participle | Present participle form of the verb "begin" | BEGINNING takes the present participle form. |
BEGINS | Present | Third person singular form of the verb "begin" | BEGINS takes the third person singular form. |
BEGINNINGS | Noun | Plural noun form | BEGINNINGS takes the plural noun form. |
BEGUN | Past participle | Past participle form of the verb "begin" | The project has BEGUN. |
"Began" is the simple past tense form of the verb "begin," which means to start or commence. On the other hand, "begun" is the past participle form of the verb "begin" and is used in perfect tenses, such as "has begun" or "have begun". The table above provides examples of how to use each form correctly in sentences.
- Begin vs Start
- Had Been vs Have Been
- Has Been vs Have Been
- Been vs Being
- Has Been vs Had Been
- Had vs Had Been
- Born vs Borne
- End vs Finish
- Was vs Have Been
- Believe vs Belief
- Are vs Have Been
- Had Done vs Have Done
- Were vs Had Been
- Difference vs Different
- Dreamed vs Dreamt
- Is vs Has Been
- Gone vs Been
- Past vs Past Perfect
- Had vs Have