Sank vs. Sunk
What Is Their Main Difference?
Both are past tenses of the verb 'sink'. However, 'sank' is the simple past tense, while, 'sunk' is the past participle form of the verb.
Differences
'Sank' is the simple past form, whereas, 'sunk' is the past participle form of the verb 'sink'. Check out the following examples:
The ship sank into the water.
The boat has totally sunk down into the ocean.
Similarities
They are both past forms of the verb 'sink'. Look below:
The jewels have sunk deep into the sand.
Jason sank into the sofa and closed his eyes.
Are They Interchangeable?
Since they have different grammatical functions, they cannot be used interchangeably. 'Sank' is the simple past tense, while, 'sunk' is the past participle form of the verb. Compare:
✓ The moment she got back from work, she threw herself onto the bed and sank deep in it.
X The moment she got back from work, she threw herself onto the bed and sunk deep in it.
As you can see here, this sentence is grammatically incorrect.
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