The past participle of "ring up" is rung up.
Understanding the Past Participle of "Ring Up"
The phrasal verb "ring up" derives its past participle form from the irregular verb "ring." Just as the past participle of "ring" is "rung," the past participle of "ring up" follows suit, combining "rung" with its particle "up." This form is essential for constructing various grammatical structures, including perfect tenses and the passive voice.
The Irregularity of "Ring"
The verb "ring" is an irregular verb, meaning its past tense and past participle forms do not follow the standard "-ed" ending. The forms are as follows:
| Verb Form | "Ring" (Base Verb) | "Ring Up" (Phrasal Verb) |
|---|---|---|
| Base Form (Infinitive) | ring | ring up |
| Simple Past | rang | rang up |
| Past Participle | rung | rung up |
This irregularity of "ring" directly impacts "ring up," making its past participle "rung up."
Common Uses of "Rung Up"
"Rung up" is frequently used in several contexts, most commonly referring to:
-
Recording a Sale: When a cashier processes items at a point of sale.
- Example (Present Perfect): "The cashier has already rung up all the groceries."
- Example (Past Perfect Passive): "By the time I reached the counter, my order had been rung up."
- Example (Passive Voice): "She realized the item was incorrectly rung up when she saw the receipt."
-
Making a Telephone Call (Less Common Usage, but still valid): While "call up" or simply "call" are more common for telephoning, "ring up" can also refer to making a phone call, especially in British English.
- Example (Present Perfect): "I've rung up customer service three times about this issue."
- Example (Past Perfect): "He had rung up his parents before leaving for the trip."
Examples in Sentences
- Active Voice (Present Perfect): "We have rung up over a hundred customers today."
- Active Voice (Past Perfect): "The manager realized the employee had rung up the items incorrectly after reviewing the log."
- Passive Voice: "All the purchases were quickly rung up at the self-checkout."
- Passive Voice (Perfect Tense): "The total for the large order had been rung up before the customer presented their discount card."
Understanding the past participle of "ring up" is crucial for accurate and grammatically correct communication, particularly in business and retail contexts where recording sales is common.
