Idiom
Singing your praises
Does 'singing your praises' mean someone is singing?
To sing someone's praises means to speak about someone with strong enthusiasm and clear approval. When you use this expression, you describe positive statements that someone made to other people.
Key points
- Use sing someone's praises when one person expresses lively, strong approval of another person to others.
- Match the possessive word to the person being praised, and match the verb form to your sentence time.
- You can also say sing the praises of a person, tool, or service.
Can you use "Singing your praises" yourself?
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Examples
After the clean-up day, the coordinator sang Elena's praises to the whole team.
Why it works: The coordinator told the rest of the team how well Elena worked.
2 more examples
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The tenants were singing your praises because you restored the heating so quickly.
The tenants spoke very enthusiastically about your fast repair work.
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Local gardeners always sing the praises of this simple hand tool.
The gardeners enthusiastically recommend the tool to others using the preposition of.
Read the full guide
Use 'sing someone's praises' for enthusiastic approval
To praise someone means to express genuine admiration for their actions or character. When you use the idiom sing someone's praises, you describe strong, enthusiastic approval rather than mild satisfaction. Nobody is singing musical notes or performing on a stage; instead, they are speaking warmly to other people about what someone accomplished. You often hear this expression when one person reports positive remarks that third parties made about a worker, helper, or friend.
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The tenants were singing your praises after you repaired the leaking roof so quickly.
Why it works: The tenants spoke very enthusiastically to others about your prompt repair work.
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Our supervisor sang the team's praises during yesterday's department meeting.
Why it works: The supervisor expressed strong approval of the team's shared effort.
Your turn
What does someone mean when they say a client was 'singing your praises'?
Answer: The client spoke to others with strong enthusiasm about your work.
Show the answer
Answer: The client spoke to others with strong enthusiasm about your work.
The idiom expresses lively, enthusiastic approval spoken to other people, not literal music or lukewarm feedback.
Follow who praises whom after a community repair event
Consider this situation at a community center repair day. You spent twenty minutes fixing a child's bicycle brake cable. Later, another volunteer named Clara walks over and says: 'The family was singing your praises before they left. They were thrilled that the bike was safe to ride again.' In this exchange, the family gives the praise, Clara reports the praise, and you receive the praise. Notice how the idiom reports warm words shared by people who observed your helpful action.
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Clara reported that the grateful parents were singing your praises near the exit.
Why it works: The parents expressed their deep appreciation for the bicycle repair to Clara.
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The workshop coordinator sang the volunteers' praises for helping fifty families in one morning.
Why it works: The coordinator praised the volunteer group for their hard work.
This also comes up in Go to your head and In your element.
Your turn
In the sentence 'The family was singing your praises', who receives the praise?
Answer: You receive the praise.
Show the answer
Answer: You receive the praise.
The possessive pronoun 'your' marks the listener as the person who earned and receives the approval.
Choose the possessive for the person receiving praise
The word directly before praises identifies the person receiving the praise. Use possessive words like my, your, his, her, our, and their, or a possessive noun such as the volunteer's praises. The speaker and the person being praised can be the same person in sing your own praises. You can also use sing the praises of followed by a person, product, or service.
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Local commuters often sing the praises of the late-night bus service.
Why it works: The pattern 'sing the praises of' points to a useful public service.
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We sang her praises after she organized the neighborhood food pantry.
Why it works: The possessive 'her' shows that she earned the enthusiastic recognition.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly identifies who earned the approval?
Answer: The director sang her praises after the successful presentation.
Show the answer
Answer: The director sang her praises after the successful presentation.
The person receiving praise requires a possessive word like 'her' placed immediately before 'praises'.
Change 'sing' to 'sang', 'sung' or 'singing' to fit the sentence
Because sing is an irregular verb, you must adjust its form to match the time of your sentence. In the present tense, use sing or sings. For completed past actions, use sang. When working with helper verbs like have, has, or had, select the participle sung. The continuous form singing requires a helping verb like was or were to make a complete sentence. Saying 'They singing your praises' is incomplete English without a proper helper verb.
| Tense or Form | Verb Pattern | Sentence Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | sing / sings | Local residents always sing your praises. |
| Past simple | sang | Yesterday the coordinator sang your praises. |
| Present perfect | have / has sung | Neighbors have sung your praises for years. |
| Continuous | am / is / are singing | Our clients are singing your praises today. |
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Yesterday, the head chef sang the new assistant's praises.
Why it works: Use the simple past 'sang' for a finished event at a known past time.
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Customers have sung this bakery's praises for more than ten years.
Why it works: Use the participle 'sung' with 'have' to describe ongoing past-to-present approval.
Your turn
Which sentence uses a complete past continuous form?
Answer: The visitors were singing your praises all afternoon.
Show the answer
Answer: The visitors were singing your praises all afternoon.
Were singing is the past continuous form. The question asks for that tense, not for a judgment about every possible use of singular praise.
Choose enthusiastic praise or a more neutral description
This idiom belongs in conversational settings and workplace discussions where people describe warm, enthusiastic approval. If someone merely said your report was acceptable or adequate, do not use this expression. In formal academic reports or legal documents, choose neutral phrases like commended her work or spoke favorably about him. Be careful with sing your own praises; this means boasting about your personal achievements, which can sound arrogant to English speakers. See also /idioms/go-to-your-head/ for related warnings about pride.
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The committee commended the speaker's research during the formal audit.
Why it works: Formal written reports favor 'commended' or 'spoke favorably' over informal idioms.
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He rarely sings his own praises, preferring to let his craftsmanship speak for itself.
Why it works: Here 'sings his own praises' means talking boastfully about oneself.
Your turn
When is 'singing your praises' appropriate to use?
Answer: When coworkers talk enthusiastically to others about your helpful attitude.
Show the answer
Answer: When coworkers talk enthusiastically to others about your helpful attitude.
The idiom fits lively, enthusiastic spoken approval rather than formal documentation or minimal praise.
Keep 'praises' plural and avoid 'praise about someone'
Practise the familiar pattern 'sing your praises'. Use sang for the past simple of sing and sung for its past participle. Singed belongs to singe, meaning burned slightly. With the ordinary verb praise, put the person directly after the verb: 'praised her', not 'praised about her'. The idiom 'sang her praises' is another way to express enthusiastic approval.
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The teacher praised David for his honest answer.
Why it works: The standard verb 'praise' takes a direct object without the preposition 'about'.
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The teacher sang David's praises during parent conferences.
Why it works: The idiom uses the possessive form 'David's' and the plural noun 'praises'.
Your turn
Which sentence avoids the common preposition error with the verb 'praise'?
Answer: The inspector praised our safety procedures.
Show the answer
Answer: The inspector praised our safety procedures.
The verb 'praise' connects directly to the noun object without adding 'about'.
Hear the possessive and both syllables of 'praises'
When listening to fast native speech, pay close attention to the word endings. Praises has two clear syllables, /ˈpreɪzɪz/. Do not confuse it with prizes, which has a different vowel sound, or praise, which has only one syllable. Furthermore, the possessive pronoun your often sounds weak, resembling you're in quick conversation. You can identify it as the possessive word because it is immediately followed by the noun praises. Weak pronouns like her may also drop their initial /h/ sound.
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I heard them singing your praises in the hallway.
Why it works: Listen for the weak pronunciation of 'your' followed by the two syllables of 'praises'.
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They sang her praises without hesitation.
Why it works: The pronoun 'her' often sounds like /ər/ when spoken quickly after 'sang'.
Your turn
How many syllables does the noun 'praises' contain in standard English?
Answer: Two syllables.
Show the answer
Answer: Two syllables.
The noun 'praises' is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈpreɪzɪz/.
Recall the expression and use it in three original messages
Before drafting your own messages, close your notes and complete three quick recall steps from memory. First, reconstruct the core expression: start with the verb sing, insert a possessive word naming who earned approval, and finish with the plural noun praises. Second, change the person receiving praise: replace your with her, his, or their to direct appreciation to someone else. Third, change the time from present to past: turn sing or is singing into sang or was singing. Finally, run this four-point check on every sentence: confirm enthusiastic approval, ensure the possessive names the recipient, keep praises plural, and match the verb tense to your timeline. To see how recommendations spread naturally in conversation, explore /idioms/word-of-mouth/.
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Neighbors spread news by word of mouth and sang the volunteer's praises.
Why it works: Combining natural communication with the idiom creates a clear message.
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We should never take our reliable helpers for granted when everyone is singing their praises.
Why it works: Contrasting 'take for granted' with 'singing their praises' reinforces appreciation.
Your turn
Which self-check question should you ask before sending a message with this idiom?
Answer: Did I make sure 'praises' is plural and the possessive names who received praise?
Show the answer
Answer: Did I make sure 'praises' is plural and the possessive names who received praise?
A reliable self-check verifies the plural form 'praises' and ensures the possessive matches the person who earned the praise.
Use it naturally
How people really use “sing someone's praises”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- always sing her praisesHer students always sing her praises when they talk about their favorite classes.
- sang her praises forThe director sang her praises for bringing such warmth to the role.
- sang her praises toI sang her praises to my sister after the show.
What people also say
- “They sang her praises.” instead of “They said praise about her.” Use a possessive before the plural 'praises' in this expression.
Related forms
- praise verbThe audience praised her performance.
- praise nounShe received warm praise for her first movie.
Questions about "Singing your praises"
Does 'singing your praises' mean someone is singing?
No, this expression is purely figurative. When people sing your praises, they are speaking warmly and enthusiastically about you to other people. They do not produce musical notes or sing an actual song.
The director was singing your praises during the morning briefing.
Can I say 'sing her praises' instead of 'sing your praises'?
Yes, you can change the possessive word to match whoever receives the praise. You can say sing my praises, sing her praises, sing his praises, sing our praises, or sing their praises.
The team sang her praises after she solved the software bug.
Is it 'sing your praise' or 'sing your praises'?
Sing someone’s praises is the standard pattern practised here. Use plural praises in that pattern. You may encounter singular praise in related uses; this lesson does not treat every such sentence as ungrammatical.
Clients keep singing their praises because the delivery was fast.
Should I say 'sang' or 'sung'?
Use sang for simple past statements. Use sung with have, has, or had in perfect forms, or with a form of be in a passive construction.
The manager sang your praises yesterday.
Customers have sung our praises for years.
Can I sing the praises of a product or service?
Yes, you can use the pattern 'sing the praises of' followed by a product, tool, or service. This shows that users or customers enthusiastically recommend that item to other people.
Commuters often sing the praises of the new express bus route.
What does 'sing your own praises' mean?
To sing your own praises means to speak boastfully about your own achievements. In English conversation, this behavior is often viewed negatively because people prefer modesty.
He tends to sing his own praises whenever new visitors arrive.
Before you go
Remember this
Use sing someone's praises when one person expresses lively, strong approval of another person to others. Match the possessive word to the person being praised, and match the verb form to your sentence time.
Stage 2 of 5
Listen
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Listening 1 of 4
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- The tenants were singing your praises because you restored the heating so quickly.
- Local gardeners always sing the praises of this simple hand tool.
Listening 2 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
- The tenants were singing your praises because you restored the heating so quickly.
- Local gardeners always sing the praises of this simple hand tool.
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
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- The tenants were singing your praises because you restored the heating so quickly.
- Local gardeners always sing the praises of this simple hand tool.
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
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- The tenants were singing your praises because you restored the heating so quickly.
- Local gardeners always sing the praises of this simple hand tool.
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Speak
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Your turn
Say it your way
Imagine you watched a young actor perform at a film festival. Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory about her performance, then describe how you praised her when you called your sister afterward.
Use: sang her praises
Take ten seconds to think, then answer out loud without looking at the lesson. Speak for the time shown in the task above. Nothing is sent unless you ask for feedback.
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Hear how someone else might say it
Last night, I went to a film festival and saw a young actor I'd never heard of before. She played a teenager who was moving away from home. There was one scene where she said almost nothing, but her face showed exactly how she felt. I found that really powerful. Afterward, I called my sister and sang her praises for several minutes. I told her the performance felt honest and natural. My sister loves discovering new actors, so she's already planning to see the movie next weekend.
Try once more and answer this: Which scene impressed you the most?
Stage 4 of 5
Write
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Write
Put it in your own words
- I used “sing someone's praises”.
- It is about my life, not the lesson’s example.
- I read it once aloud to check it sounds right.
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