Brought It Right: Why Brung is Just Plain Wrong

Brought vs. Brung: What’s the Difference?

In early English, there are two words that people sometimes mix up: brought and brung. Let’s learn what they mean, how to use them, and some tricks to remember them.

History

The word brought is the past tense of the verb bring. It has been used in English for a very long time. Brung is a word many people use in informal speech, but it is not correct in formal English.

How to Use Them

Brought is the proper past tense and past participle of bring.

Examples of Brought

• She brought cookies to the party.
• He brought his dog to the park.
• They brought a gift for the birthday boy.
• I brought my book to school.
• We brought food for the picnic.

Brung is often used in spoken language, but it’s not correct. You should not use brung in writing or formal speech.

Examples of (Incorrect) Brung

• She brung cookies to the party. (Incorrect)
• He brung his dog to the park. (Incorrect)
• They brung a gift for the birthday boy. (Incorrect)
• I brung my book to school. (Incorrect)
• We brung food for the picnic. (Incorrect)

Trick to Remember the Difference

To remember which one to use, think of this rhyme: "If you want the past tense to be right, choose brought in your write." Brought is the correct word every time.

Summary

Use brought when you talk about something you brought in the past. Brung is not correct; do not use it. Remember the rhyme!

Brought = Past tense of bring.

Brung = Incorrect, do not use it.