All Ears English Podcast

Episode: "How to Dance Around Tricky Past Participles"

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Aubrey Carter
Date: August 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into a quirky and practical element of spoken American English: how native speakers frequently “dance around” using certain tricky past participles—most notably with irregular verbs like drink, run, and go. Lindsay and Aubrey highlight the real-life approaches natives use to avoid these forms (even though they're grammatically correct) and share strategies ESL learners can confidently use too, focusing on natural communication.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Do Natives Avoid Some Past Participles?

• Native Intuition Feels ‘Off’:
  • Words like “drunk” (for drink) sound odd or even carry awkward or negative connotations, so even seasoned English speakers hesitate to use them.
  • Aubrey (02:06): “We really avoid it, everyone. I feel like in the United States you don't hear this a lot.”
  • Lindsey (02:20): “...Even when I've taught this ... every time I've had to teach this, I will go back and double check that the grammar's right.”
• Perceived Social/Cultural Connotations:
  • “Drunk” is most often associated with being inebriated, causing native speakers to sidestep using it in contexts like “Have you drunk water today?”

The Core “Dance Around” Strategies

• Strategy 1: Swap Present Perfect with Present Perfect Continuous

  • Use “have/has been” + [verb]-ing to skirt around the past participle.
    • Instead of: “Have you drunk a lot of water?”
      Use: “Have you been drinking a lot of water?” (03:41, 07:13)
    • Instead of: “I've run a lot this week.”
      Use: “I've been running a lot this week.” (09:00)
    • Instead of: “I've gone to the grocery store a lot.”
      Use: “I've been going to the grocery store a lot.” (10:08)
  • Aubrey (07:13): “Instead of, I haven't drunk enough water today, you would say, I haven't been drinking enough water today. And they mean the same thing...so pick the easy one.”

• Strategy 2: Swap Present Perfect with Present Continuous/Progressive

  • Especially in questions or with repeated actions.
    • “Are you drinking a lot today?” instead of “How much have you drunk today?” (13:19)
    • “Are you running a lot these days?” instead of “Have you run a lot lately?” (13:33)
    • “Have you been going to many concerts this year?” instead of “Have you gone to many concerts this year?” (13:33)
  • Lindsey (13:19): “So the present progressive. Right?...Love it.”

Verb-Specific Hotspots & Sociolinguistics

• Drink (drank, drunk): Most commonly avoided

  • Multiple strategies for avoidance mentioned by both hosts.
  • Aubrey (07:49): “If you say, I am drunk, that has a very different meaning than I haven't drunk a lot of water.”

• Run (ran, run): Frequent native mistakes (“I have ran”) occur, so speakers opt for safer options.

• Go (went, gone):

  • Regional and dialectical variations (use of “I've went” in some American English varieties and African American English).
    • Aubrey (10:29): “Where I grew up, people say ‘I've went’ all the time. This is also very common in African American English.”
    • Lindsey (10:08): “This one I think is something our listeners should learn. Right. ‘I've gone’...it's everywhere.”
  • Recommendation: “Go” is so common learners should master it properly—less need to avoid.
    • Aubrey (11:57): “It seems so doable to learn that gone is the past participle for go...it's best case scenario, right? We learn that past participle so that we can say, I have gone.”

• Other Verbs: Caution for verbs with less familiar or irregular forms (e.g., “grind – ground — grinded”).

Why This Happens—even for Educated Natives

• Even the hosts (both experienced educators with English MAs) find themselves sidestepping less-used participles out of discomfort or habit.
  • Lindsey (06:34): “...even people that are super educated and, you know, well read, they also might do this. Use these strategies.”
  • Aubrey (04:49): “We both have master's degrees in English. Right. But because we don't hear it a lot...we often will also dance around it.”

Linguistic Flexibility & Cultural Context

• Mistakes and “dancing around” participles aren’t about lack of education but cultural/linguistic usage.
• Learners should decide case-by-case which participles to master and which to “dance around,” especially to avoid sounding awkward or overly formal in casual contexts.
• Context, connection, and who you’re speaking to matter.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Have you drunk a lot of water today?”
  (Lindsey, 01:48, with immediate self-doubt signaling native awkwardness.)
• Aubrey (02:06): “We really avoid it, everyone. I feel like in the United States you don't hear this a lot.”
• Lindsey (06:34): “Even people that are super educated and, you know, well read, they also might do this. Use these strategies. Right. This is not necessarily about education levels.”
• Aubrey (07:49): “If you say, I am drunk, that has a very different meaning than I haven't drunk a lot of water.”
• Aubrey (10:29): “Where I grew up, people say ‘I've went’ all the time. This is also very common in African American English.”
• Lindsey (18:19): “...these are habits that native speakers participate in, dancing around certain verbs. Because for whatever reason, we're not sure if it's right. We don't hear other people say it or we feel awkward saying it. It is okay to do it.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:48–02:16: Hosts discuss discomfort with “drunk” as past participle of “drink”
• 03:30–04:07: How natives favor present perfect continuous: “Have you been drinking...?”
• 06:12–07:13: Concrete pro tip: Swap present perfect for present perfect continuous
• 09:00–09:15: Examples: “I’ve run” vs “I’ve been running”
• 10:08–11:34: Socio-dialectal discussion of “gone” vs “went” (“I’ve went” vs “I’ve gone”)
• 12:39–13:19: Quick examples swapping present perfect with present progressive/continuous
• 15:25–17:17: Role play between hosts demonstrating “dance around” in typical park conversation
• 17:40–17:58: Shoutout to a related episode on “grind/ground”

Role Play: Real Conversation Examples

• 15:26–16:20
  • “I feel like I see you here running a lot lately.”
    (Present perfect continuous avoids “run/running” confusion.)
  • “Yes, I've been running every day. ... training for that marathon next month.”
• 16:32
  • “Have you been drinking enough water?”
    (Avoids “Have you drunk…” entirely.)
• 16:45–17:17
  • “Have you been running much lately?” / “I've been going to that new gym across town.”
    (Both sentences demonstrate strategies in fluid conversational context.)

Practical Takeaways

• Don’t stress if certain participles feel awkward to use, even natives often avoid them.
• Master “have gone” (go-went-gone) since it’s so fundamental, but feel comfortable using present perfect or continuous alternatives when in doubt—especially with verbs like “drink.”
• Connection, NOT perfection: Choose forms that make you sound natural and help you connect, rather than worrying about perfect grammar in every instance.
• Context and dialect matter—embrace flexibility and focus on what achieves the best communication.

Recommended Next Episode

• AEE Episode 2434: “Vocabulary to Help With Your English Grind” (Discusses “grind/ground/grinded” and similar participle challenges.)
  (Mentioned at 17:44)

Final Note

Native English conversation often prioritizes practicality and comfort over strict grammar, even among “experts.” For learners, using these “dance around” strategies is not only acceptable but reflective of real-life American English. Choose the approach that fits your social context and communication goals—connection first!