Dennis Miller, tell us where did the confab "went"

Comedian Dennis Miller wasn't so funny when he recently blundered in his choice of verb tense. All of us blunder while speaking, but Miller's proved a gross error. After all, Mr. Miller makes his living through talking, so we may expect better of him.

In the aftermath of cohort Bill O'Reilly's recent interview with Senator Hilary Clinton, Miller commented to O'Reilly:

"It was a nice confab, but I don't think it should have went any further..."

The usually truculent host, O'Reilly, overlooked the gaffe, but we have not, even if the two considered their exchange a friendly chat. Friendliness should include a certain respect for elemental grammar. Miller, a wordsmith of considerable talent, particularly in younger days, made the hair rise upon the neck with his blunder.

Miller used the present perfect tense which is formed by employing "have" or "has" with a past participle. The present perfect "describes an action or state begun in the past and leading up to the present." (501 English Verbs, Thomas R. Beyer, Jr., Ph.D.).

Miller chose correctly based upon what he was describing, a conversation between Senator Clinton and O'Reilly that was proceeding. However, in using "have," an auxiliary verb (helping verb) used in forming the present perfect tense, he was required to use the past participle of go, which is gone. Thus, "have gone," not "have went."

(present) go, (simple past) went, (pres. perf.) [have] gone

The "DNA" of Verb Forms

A reader asks for the simple past tense of the verb wring: "to squeeze or twist especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid." Merriam-Webster Dictionary says the past tense of Wring is Wrung.

Let's explore the "DNA" of verbs, the various forms they take for various uses: We'll continue to use "wring" in the process, which should take several postings. Don't worry, I'll not give you such a wring that your neck will crack. (archaic)

The standard view of a verb begins with its infinitive, the word "to" placed before the verb. Therefore, the infinitive of wring is: to wring.

After the infinitive come four Principal Parts*: 1) the verb in the 3rd person singular, present tense: wrings, then 2) the present participle: wringing, followed by 3) the simple past tense: wrung (as we have seen), and finally, 4) the past participle: wrung. Notice, in this case, the verb in the simple past takes the same form as the verb in the past participle.

Another look at the Principle Parts of the verb wring used in sentences:

3rd person singular, present tense: Ted wrings his hands when he is frustrated.

simple past tense: Ted wrung the towel of its wetness.

present participle: Ted is wringing the towel of its wetness.

past participle: Ted has wrung the towel of its wetness each Friday.


We'll have more to say about the Principle Parts in future postings. Meanwhile, let me ring in the New Year** with this toast to be repeated December 31st: "Here's to healthy sentences and sound communication."

*Some grammarians include the infinitive in the Principle Parts.

**to ring to summon especially by bell. Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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