Mastering irregular verb forms in English is essential for achieving fluency, precision, and confidence in both writing and speaking. Among these tricky verbs, “swell” stands out because it has more than one acceptable past form. This causes confusion even for advanced learners, writers, and teachers. Sometimes, you might see “swelled,” other times “swollen,” and occasionally the rare “swoll,” making it important to understand when and why each form is used.
This comprehensive guide is designed for students of all levels, educators, editors, writers, and language enthusiasts who want an in-depth understanding of “swell” in the past tense. We will cover definitions, grammar structures, variations, usage rules, numerous examples, common mistakes, practice activities, and even advanced linguistic insights.
By the end of this article, you will confidently distinguish between “swelled,” “swollen,” and “swoll,” improving the accuracy of your English grammar both in speech and writing. Let’s begin this detailed journey into mastering one of English’s most fascinating irregular verbs!
Table of Contents
- 3. Definition Section
- 4. Structural Breakdown
- 5. Types or Categories of Past Tense for “Swell”
- 6. Examples Section
- 7. Usage Rules
- 8. Common Mistakes
- 9. Practice Exercises
- 10. Advanced Topics
- 11. FAQ Section
- 12. Conclusion
3. Definition Section
3.1. What Does “Swell” Mean?
The verb “swell” has several meanings in English, both literal and figurative:
- To increase in size, volume, or mass (literal):
“My ankle swelled after I twisted it.” - To become filled with a strong emotion (figurative):
“Her pride swelled after receiving the award.” - To increase in intensity or loudness:
“The music swelled as the hero entered.”
3.2. Grammatical Classification
“Swell” is primarily an irregular verb, which means its past forms do not always follow the standard “-ed” pattern. Here are its principal verb forms:
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Present Participle | 3rd Person Singular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| swell | swelled / swoll | swollen / swelled | swelling | swells |
This table will be expanded with examples later.
3.3. Focus on the Past Tense
When discussing the past tenses of “swell,” we focus on two key forms:
- Simple past: usually swelled, sometimes archaically swoll
- Past participle: primarily swollen, sometimes swelled
The past tense forms indicate actions or states completed in the past, such as an injury that caused swelling or an emotion that grew stronger. Correct use of these forms ensures grammatical accuracy and clarity.
4. Structural Breakdown
4.1. Regular vs. Irregular Verb Behavior
“Swell” is interesting because it blends features of regular and irregular verbs. Historically, the Old English verb was swellan, with past tense swoll and past participle swollen. Over time, the more regular form swelled became common, but “swollen” remained as the preferred past participle and adjective.
Today:
- Swelled acts as the regular past simple form
- Swollen is the irregular past participle (and adjective)
- Swoll is archaic or dialectal, rarely used in standard English
4.2. Past Simple Forms
The simple past tense of “swell” usually takes the form swelled.
However, in some dialects or historical texts, you may encounter swoll. This form is considered nonstandard or poetic today.
| Form | Example | Context |
|---|---|---|
| swelled | “His eyes swelled with tears.” | Standard, most common |
| swoll | “His ankle swoll badly after the fall.” | Rare, dialectal, poetic |
4.3. Past Participle Forms
The past participle is used with auxiliaries (“have,” “had,” “has”) or as an adjective. The preferred form is swollen, but swelled is also acceptable, mainly in American English or informal contexts.
| Form | Example | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| swollen | “Her eyes have swollen shut.” | Preferred participle/adjective |
| swelled | “His heart has swelled with pride.” | Acceptable, especially in AmE |
4.4. Participial Adjectives
The form swollen is also widely used as an adjective:
- Correct: “a swollen river,” “her swollen ankle”
Swelled is less common as an adjective but appears in certain idioms:
- “a swelled head” (meaning arrogance or ego)
4.5. Summary Table of Structural Forms
| Form Type | Word | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base form | swell | “The river will swell tomorrow.” | Infinitive/present |
| Past simple | swelled | “Her ankle swelled quickly.” | Standard past tense |
| Past simple (archaic) | swoll | “My foot swoll after the bite.” | Dialectal/rare |
| Past participle | swollen | “His eyes have swollen shut.” | Preferred with auxiliaries |
| Past participle (alternative) | swelled | “Her pride has swelled recently.” | Also acceptable |
| Participial adjective | swollen | “He had a swollen lip.” | Descriptive adjective |
| Participial adjective (idiomatic) | swelled | “He has a swelled head.” | Fixed idiom |
| Present participle | swelling | “The river is swelling fast.” | Continuous aspect |
5. Types or Categories of Past Tense for “Swell”
5.1. Simple Past Tense
Form: swelled (standard), swoll (dialectal/rare)
Usage: Completed actions or events in the past.
- “The river swelled after the storm.”
- “His pride swelled when he won the award.”
5.2. Present Perfect Tense
Form: has/have + swollen or swelled
Usage: Past actions with relevance to the present.
- “My ankle has swollen since yesterday.”
- “Her ego has swelled over time.”
5.3. Past Perfect Tense
Form: had + swollen or swelled
Usage: An action completed before another past event.
- “By the time the doctor arrived, her knee had swollen.”
- “His confidence had swelled before the presentation.”
5.4. Passive Voice
Form: was/were + swollen
- “His eyes were swollen shut.”
In passive constructions, “swollen” is preferred because it acts as both a participle and an adjective describing the state.
5.5. Participial Adjectives
Both swollen and swelled can function as adjectives, but with different nuances:
- “a swollen riverbank” (common descriptive)
- “a swelled ego” (idiomatic expression)
6. Examples Section
6.1. Basic Examples of Past Simple
- “The river swelled rapidly overnight.”
- “Her ankle swelled after the accident.”
- “His pride swelled when he heard the applause.”
- “The crowd swelled as more people arrived.”
- “My finger swelled due to the insect bite.”
- “The music swelled during the climax.”
- “Her heart swelled with happiness.”
- “Tears swelled in his eyes.”
- “The ranks of protesters swelled quickly.”
- “The storm swelled the river beyond capacity.”
- (Archaic) “His foot swoll after the bite.”
- (Archaic) “Her face swoll with rage.”
6.2. Present Perfect with Swollen/Swelled
- “The river has swollen after heavy rain.”
- “The river has swelled after heavy rain.”
- “My eyes have swollen from crying.”
- “My eyes have swelled from crying.”
- “His pride has swollen over the years.”
- “His pride has swelled over the years.”
- “Her ankle has swollen badly.”
- “Her ankle has swelled badly.”
6.3. Past Perfect Examples
- “By dawn, the river had swollen beyond its banks.”
- “By dawn, the river had swelled beyond its banks.”
- “Before the meeting, his ego had swollen considerably.”
- “Before the meeting, his ego had swelled considerably.”
- “Her knee had swollen before she saw the doctor.”
- “Her knee had swelled before she saw the doctor.”
6.4. Passive Voice Examples
- “His face was swollen after the surgery.”
- “Her eyes were swollen shut by the allergy.”
- “The riverbanks were swollen with water.”
- “His hand was swollen from the sting.”
- “Their feet were swollen after the hike.”
6.5. Participial Adjectives
- “a swollen ankle”
- “a swollen river”
- “a swelled head” (idiom for arrogance)
- “a swollen face”
- “a swollen lip”
6.6. Idiomatic Expressions
- “His ego swelled after the promotion.”
- “Pride swelled in her chest.”
- “Tears swelled in his eyes.”
- “Emotion swelled inside him.”
- “Crowds swelled during the festival.”
6.7. Example Tables
| Tense | Form | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Past | swelled | “The river swelled overnight.” | Completed action |
| Present Perfect | swollen | “The river has swollen after rain.” | Result relevant now |
| Present Perfect | swelled | “The river has swelled after rain.” | Acceptable variant |
| Simple Past | swelled | “Her pride swelled when she won.” | Completed event |
| Form | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| swollen | “She had a swollen ankle.” | Descriptive adjective |
| swelled | “He has a swelled head.” | Idiomatic, fixed phrase |
| Sentence | Verb Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| “His eyes were swollen shut.” | swollen | Preferred in passive |
| “Her hands were swollen from work.” | swollen | Describes result |
| “Their feet were swollen after hiking.” | swollen | State after event |
| “His face was swollen badly.” | swollen | Describes injury |
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| swelled head | Arrogance, conceit | “Don’t get a swelled head after your success.” |
| pride swelled | Feel very proud | “Pride swelled in him.” |
| emotion swelled | Strong feelings grew | “Emotion swelled inside her.” |
| tears swelled | Ready to cry | “Tears swelled in his eyes.” |
| Example | Context | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| “My foot swoll up quickly.” | Dialectal | Not standard |
| “Her hand swoll from the sting.” | Archaic | Rarely used |
| “His face swoll badly.” | Poetic/dialect | Avoid in formal |
| “Their ankles swoll after walking.” | Nonstandard | Use “swelled” instead |
7. Usage Rules
7.1. When to Use “Swelled” vs. “Swollen”
- Simple past tense: use swelled
- Past participle: prefer swollen, though swelled is acceptable in some cases
7.2. Choosing Between “Swollen” and “Swelled” as Participles
- “Swollen” is preferred, especially in passive voice and as adjectives
- “Swelled” is acceptable in perfect tenses, more common in American English
Examples:
- “Her eyes have swollen shut.” (preferred)
- “Her eyes have swelled shut.” (acceptable but less formal)
7.3. Regional and Dialectal Variations
- British English: prefers “swollen”
- American English: “swelled” more accepted in participle, but still “swollen” preferred in passive/adjective
- “Swoll”: dialectal (Southern US, African American Vernacular English) or archaic/poetic
| Region | Preferred Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UK | swollen | “My foot has swollen.” |
| US (formal) | swollen | “His eyes have swollen shut.” |
| US (informal) | swelled | “The river has swelled after rain.” |
| Dialectal | swoll | “My ankle swoll last night.” |
7.4. Formal vs. Informal Contexts
- Formal writing/speech: use swollen as participle and adjective
- Informal speech: “swelled” may be acceptable as participle
- Avoid “swoll” in any standard writing
7.5. Common Exceptions and Special Cases
- Idiomatic fixed phrase: “a swelled head” (meaning arrogant attitude)
- Figurative language: “pride swelled inside her”
- Medical contexts: prefer “swollen” (“a swollen knee”)
- Emotional contexts: either, depending on tense (“Her heart has swelled“)
7.6. Summary Table of Usage Rules
| Context | Preferred Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple past | swelled | “The river swelled overnight.” |
| Past participle (perfect tenses) | swollen (preferred) or swelled (acceptable) | “My knee has swollen.” |
| Passive voice | swollen | “Her face was swollen shut.” |
| Adjective | swollen | “a swollen eye” |
| Idiomatic/Figurative | swelled | “a swelled head” |
| Dialectal | swoll (avoid) | “My foot swoll.” (nonstandard) |
8. Common Mistakes
8.1. Confusing Past Simple and Past Participle
- Incorrect: “My ankle has swelled badly.” (acceptable but less preferred)
- Correct: “My ankle has swollen badly.”
8.2. Using “Swoll” in Formal Writing
- Incorrect: “Her eyes swoll after crying.”
- Correct: “Her eyes swelled after crying.”
8.3. Incorrect Passive Voice
- Incorrect: “His face was swelled.”
- Correct: “His face was swollen.”
8.4. Misusing Participial Adjectives
- Incorrect: “He had a swelled ankle.”
- Correct: “He had a swollen ankle.”
8.5. Overusing “Swelled” in Perfect Tenses
- Preferred: “The river has swollen.”
- Acceptable: “The river has swelled.”
8.6. Table of Correct vs. Incorrect Usage
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| “His foot was swelled.” | “His foot was swollen.” | Use “swollen” in passive |
| “She has swelled eyes.” | “She has swollen eyes.” | Adjective form is “swollen” |
| “My knee has swelled badly.” | “My knee has swollen badly.” | “swollen” preferred in perfect |
| “The river was swelled.” | “The river was swollen.” | Passive prefers “swollen” |
| “Her ankle is swelled.” | “Her ankle is swollen.” | Descriptive adjective is “swollen” |
| “His pride had swollen up.” | Acceptable | Perfect tense, acceptable |
| “Her face swoll quickly.” | “Her face swelled quickly.” | “swoll” is dialectal |
| “Their hands were swelled.” | “Their hands were swollen.” | Passive prefers “swollen” |
| “I had swelled eyes.” | “I had swollen eyes.” | Adjective form is “swollen” |
| “The ranks had swoll.” | “The ranks had swelled.” | “swoll” is archaic |
9. Practice Exercises
9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises
- After the injury, her knee has ______ badly. (Answer: swollen)
- The crowd ______ rapidly during the concert. (Answer: swelled)
- By the time help arrived, his hand had ______ twice its size. (Answer: swollen)
- His ego ______ after winning the trophy. (Answer: swelled)
- The river has ______ after heavy rainfall. (Answer: swollen)
- Her pride has ______ over the years. (Answer: swelled)
- The music ______ as the hero appeared. (Answer: swelled)
- Her eyes were ______ shut. (Answer: swollen)
- By morning, the ranks had ______ significantly. (Answer: swelled)
- His face was ______ after the surgery. (Answer: swollen)
9.2. Error Correction Exercises
- “His pride had swelled up after winning.” (Acceptable)
- “Her eyes were swelled after crying.” (Incorrect → swollen)
- “My ankle has swelled badly.” (Better: swollen)
- “The river was swelled beyond limits.” (Incorrect → swollen)
- “Their feet were swollen after hiking.” (Correct)
- “Her face had swelled from the allergy.” (Acceptable)
- “His eyes had swollen shut.” (Correct)
- “My hand was swelled up badly.” (Incorrect → swollen)
9.3. Identification Exercises
- “The river has swollen overnight.” → Present perfect, past participle
- “Her eyes swelled suddenly.” → Past simple
- “His face was swollen badly.” → Passive voice, past participle/adjective
- “Pride swelled in his chest.” → Past simple
- “His ankle has swollen again.” → Present perfect, past participle
- “She has a swollen knee.” → Participial adjective
- “The music swelled dramatically.” → Past simple
- “Their hands were swollen from work.” → Passive/adjective
- “Her heart has swelled with pride.” → Present perfect
- “His ego swelled after his success.” → Past simple
9.4. Sentence Construction Exercises
- Describe a river after heavy rain. (e.g., “The river has swollen dangerously.”)
- Use “swelled” in a sentence about pride. (e.g., “His pride swelled when he won.”)
- Use “swollen” as an adjective for a body part. (e.g., “She had a swollen ankle.”)
- Make a passive voice sentence with “swollen”. (e.g., “His eyes were swollen shut.”)
- Describe a growing crowd. (e.g., “The crowd swelled by evening.”)
9.5. Practice Tables
| Sentence | Answer/Correction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| “Her ankle has _______ badly.” | swollen | Preferred participle |
| “Their faces were _______ after the fight.” | swollen | Passive/adjective |
| “His pride had _______ before the game.” | swelled | Perfect tense |
| “The river _______ after the dam broke.” | swelled | Simple past |
| “Her hand was _______.” | swollen | Passive/adjective |
| “My foot was swelled.” (Incorrect) | swollen | Passive prefers “swollen” |
| “His ego has _______.” | swelled | Acceptable in perfect |
10. Advanced Topics
10.1. Etymology and Historical Development
The verb “swell” comes from Old English swellan, with past tense swoll and past participle swollen. Over centuries, English evolved toward regular “-ed” endings, giving rise to swelled, but retained the irregular participle swollen. The rare swoll survives in dialects and poetry.
10.2. “Swollen” vs. “Swelled” in Figurative Language
Both forms appear in figurative expressions:
- “Pride has swollen/swollen” — a metaphor for growing feelings
- “A swelled head” — idiomatic, fixed phrase meaning arrogance
“Swollen” often conveys physical or emotional states, while “swelled” emphasizes the process or event.
10.3. Register and Style Considerations
- Academic, scientific, medical writing: prefer “swollen”
- Journalistic, literary: both “swollen” and “swelled” can be stylistically appropriate
- Creative writing: dialect forms like “swoll” may be used for effect
10.4. Corpus Data Insights
Analysis of corpora such as COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) and BNC (British National Corpus) reveals:
- “swollen” far more common as past participle and adjective
- “swelled” primarily used as simple past, sometimes as participle in AmE
- “swoll” appears rarely, mostly in dialectal speech or creative writing
10.5. Dialectal and Poetic Uses
“Swoll” appears in some Southern US dialects and African American Vernacular English:
- “My eye swoll up after the fight.”
In poetry or song lyrics, “swoll” adds a rustic or rhythmic feel:
- “My heart swoll with pain and pride.”
11. FAQ Section
1. What is the correct past tense of “swell”?
The standard past tense is swelled. Rarely, “swoll” appears in dialects or poetry.
2. Is “swollen” or “swelled” used with “have/has/had”?
Both are acceptable past participles, but “swollen” is preferred, especially in formal writing.
3. Can “swelled” be used as a past participle?
Yes, especially in American English. However, “swollen” is generally preferred.
4. What does “swoll” mean, and is it correct?
“Swoll” is a dialectal or archaic past tense form of “swell.” It is nonstandard and usually avoided in formal writing.
5. Is “swollen” an adjective or a verb form?
Both. “Swollen” is the past participle and also used widely as an adjective (e.g., “a swollen ankle”).
6. How do I know when to use “swelled” or “swollen”?
Use swelled for simple past tense. Use swollen as the participle (with have/has/had), especially in passive voice or as an adjective.
7. Why is “His eyes were swollen” correct but not “were swelled”?
In passive voice and as an adjective, “swollen” is preferred. “Were swelled” is nonstandard.
8. Are there differences in British vs. American English for “swell”?
Yes. British English prefers “swollen” as the participle. American English sometimes uses “swelled” as an alternative participle in perfect tenses but still prefers “swollen” in passive/adjective use.
9. Is “swell” a regular or irregular verb?
It has both regular (swelled) and irregular (swollen) features, making it a mixed or hybrid irregular verb.
10. Can “swelled” be used in passive voice?
No. Use “swollen” in passive voice (e.g., “His eyes were swollen”). “Were swelled” is incorrect.
11. What are some idioms using “swell”?
- “a swelled head” (arrogance)
- “pride swelled in him”
- “crowds swelled”
- “tears swelled in her eyes”
12. How common is the use of “swoll”?
“Swoll” is rare today, mainly found in dialects, slang, or creative writing. Avoid it in standard English.
12. Conclusion
Understanding the verb “swell” in the past tense requires mastering its mixed irregular forms. Remember:
- “Swelled” is the standard simple past tense.
- “Swollen” is the preferred past participle, especially in passive voice and as an adjective.
- “Swelled” as a participle is acceptable in some perfect tenses, mainly in American English.
- “Swoll” is dialectal or archaic and should be avoided in standard writing.
Mastering these distinctions will improve your writing clarity and spoken fluency. Practice regularly with examples and exercises to reinforce your understanding.
Explore other irregular verbs to continue expanding your English grammar expertise. Happy learning!