Fan list for book author Raymond E. Feist

Nat Russo | 2 Aug 2012 00:28

Grammar: past participle of "get"

I've been reading too much about grammar lately. Now I'm completely self-conscious about my use of "gotten" for the past participle of "get".

"I have gotten many vaccinations in my life." <--- my preference.

"I have got many vaccinations in my life." <-- British English.

It was actually difficult for me to type the second sentence. Apparently, if you write "gotten", it immediately identifies you as an American writer to British ears. Not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose.

Any comments, Ray? Elements of Style says "got" is the preferred form of the participle. *I* don't prefer it :)

In fact, I think it could be confusing, in some cases, to stick with "got".

"Yes, I've got that."

"Yes, I've gotten that."

To me, those sentences say two different things. The first sentence implies possession in the present tense. The second sentence is more concerned about a past event. Now if the question answered by those sentences is "Did you get the letter from the bank?", then the first sentence seems like an odd way to answer.

Nat

Sent from my Crappy Laptop (tm) using a poor excuse for a web browser.

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Mike D | 2 Aug 2012 00:35

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

What about not using any form of "got" and just use Have/Had?

Or am I way off base?

"Yes I have that."
"Yes I've had that."

On 8/1/12, Nat Russo <nat.russo@...> wrote:
> I've been reading too much about grammar lately.  Now I'm completely
> self-conscious about my use of "gotten" for the past participle of "get".
>
> "I have gotten many vaccinations in my life."   <--- my preference.
> "I have got many vaccinations in my life."  <-- British English.
>
> It was actually difficult for me to type the second sentence.  Apparently,
> if you write "gotten", it immediately identifies you as an American writer
> to British ears.  Not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose.
>
> Any comments, Ray?  Elements of Style says "got" is the preferred form of
> the participle.  *I* don't prefer it :)
>
> In fact, I think it could be confusing, in some cases, to stick with "got".
>
> "Yes, I've got that."
> "Yes, I've gotten that."
>
> To me, those sentences say two different things.  The first sentence
> implies possession in the present tense.  The second sentence is more
> concerned about a past event.  Now if the question answered by those
> sentences is "Did you get the letter from the bank?", then the first
> sentence seems like an odd way to answer.
>
> Nat
>
> --
> Sent from my Crappy Laptop (tm) using a poor excuse for a web browser.
>

--

-- 
Sent from my mobile device

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Lani cat | 2 Aug 2012 00:40

RE: Grammar: past participle of "get"

Or, use "I have recieved many vaccinations in my life",
Or been on the recieving end of many vaccinations LMAO.....<==== Im a nurse so the use of "recieved" is used alot :=)
Lani

> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 15:35:05 -0700
> Subject: Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"
> From: miked116-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org
> To: feistfans-l-Re1fH9pVRcMibAbXQ5Tkjg@public.gmane.org
>
> What about not using any form of "got" and just use Have/Had?
>
> Or am I way off base?
>
> "Yes I have that."
> "Yes I've had that."
>
>
>
> On 8/1/12, Nat Russo <nat.russo-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > I've been reading too much about grammar lately. Now I'm completely
> > self-conscious about my use of "gotten" for the past participle of "get".
> >
> > "I have gotten many vaccinations in my life." <--- my preference.
> > "I have got many vaccinations in my life." <-- British English.
> >
> > It was actually difficult for me to type the second sentence. Apparently,
> > if you write "gotten", it immediately identifies you as an American writer
> > to British ears. Not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose.
> >
> > Any comments, Ray? Elements of Style says "got" is the preferred form of
> > the participle. *I* don't prefer it :)
> >
> > In fact, I think it could be confusing, in some cases, to stick with "got".
> >
> > "Yes, I've got that."
> > "Yes, I've gotten that."
> >
> > To me, those sentences say two different things. The first sentence
> > implies possession in the present tense. The second sentence is more
> > concerned about a past event. Now if the question answered by those
> > sentences is "Did you get the letter from the bank?", then the first
> > sentence seems like an odd way to answer.
> >
> > Nat
> >
> > --
> > Sent from my Crappy Laptop (tm) using a poor excuse for a web browser.
> >
>
> --
> Sent from my mobile device
>

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Dan Henby | 2 Aug 2012 02:35

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

On 02/08/2012, at 8:35 AM, Mike D <miked116@...> wrote:

> What about not using any form of "got" and just use Have/Had?
> 
> Or am I way off base?
> 
> "Yes I have that."
> "Yes I've had that."
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/1/12, Nat Russo <nat.russo@...> wrote:

have" and "had" are acceptable declensions of "got".

Got is really a hack word, which isn't strictly speaking English (I think) and thus fair to muck around with,
but the have/had is preferable to gotten.

Dan

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Chris Smith | 3 Aug 2012 13:30

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

On 01/08/2012 23:28, Nat Russo wrote:
> I've been reading too much about grammar lately.  Now I'm completely
> self-conscious about my use of "gotten" for the past participle of "get".
> 
> "I have gotten many vaccinations in my life."   <--- my preference.
> "I have got many vaccinations in my life."  <-- British English.

That's interesting.  It was my understanding that for native speakers of
American English there is a subtle difference between 'got' and 'gotten'
and that the two were not strictly interchangeable?

Chris
--

-- 
Chris Smith <cjs94@...>

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tony gurnick | 3 Aug 2012 13:33

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

I have had many vaccinations in my life

On Fri, Aug 3, 2012 at 12:30 PM, Chris Smith <cjs94-RFZAuSF3kousTnJN9+BGXg@public.gmane.org> wrote:

On 01/08/2012 23:28, Nat Russo wrote:
> I've been reading too much about grammar lately. Now I'm completely
> self-conscious about my use of "gotten" for the past participle of "get".
>
> "I have gotten many vaccinations in my life." <--- my preference.
> "I have got many vaccinations in my life." <-- British English.

That's interesting. It was my understanding that for native speakers of
American English there is a subtle difference between 'got' and 'gotten'
and that the two were not strictly interchangeable?

Chris
--
Chris Smith <cjs94-RFZAuSF3kousTnJN9+BGXg@public.gmane.org>

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Colin Denman-Jones | 7 Aug 2012 17:26

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

Since we are on the subject of grammar: "Im a nurse so the use of "recieved" is used alot"
I ignored the "Im" (I'm), I bit my tongue on the "recieved" (received), but I had to speak up when I read the "alot" (a lot).
Sorry Lani, I don't want to pick on you, but I think many on this list would react the same to "alot" :)

Pedantically yours,
Colin.

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Anestis Kozakis | 7 Aug 2012 17:30

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

On 8 August 2012 01:26, Colin Denman-Jones <egoapto@...> wrote:
> Since we are on the subject of grammar: "Im a nurse so the use of "recieved"
> is used alot"
> I ignored the "Im" (I'm), I bit my tongue on the "recieved" (received), but
> I had to speak up when I read the "alot" (a lot).
> Sorry Lani, I don't want to pick on you, but I think many on this list would
> react the same to "alot" :)

"The alot is Better Than You at Everything" :
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

> Pedantically yours,
> Colin.

Anestis.
--

-- 
Anestis Kozakis | kenosti@... |

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Nick Andrews | 7 Aug 2012 18:21

Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"

At least they didn't screw up 'log in' versus 'login', as is commonly
seen these dark days...

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 9:26 AM, Colin Denman-Jones <egoapto@...> wrote:
> Since we are on the subject of grammar: "Im a nurse so the use of "recieved"
> is used alot"
> I ignored the "Im" (I'm), I bit my tongue on the "recieved" (received), but
> I had to speak up when I read the "alot" (a lot).
> Sorry Lani, I don't want to pick on you, but I think many on this list would
> react the same to "alot" :)
>
> Pedantically yours,
> Colin.
>
>
>

--

-- 
Nick A

"You know what I wish?  I wish that all the scum of the world had but
a single throat, and I had my hands about it..."  Rorschach, 1975

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."- Benjamin Franklin,
Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

"Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names
the streets after them." Bill Vaughan

"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato

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Lani cat | 7 Aug 2012 21:36

RE: Grammar: past participle of "get"

tehehe Thanks Colin, i bit my tongue as i was writing it too :=). A little black humour im afraid (i am grinning)

Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 01:26:50 +1000
Subject: Re: Grammar: past participle of "get"
From: egoapto <at> gmail.com
To: feistfans-l-Re1fH9pVRcMibAbXQ5Tkjg@public.gmane.org

Since we are on the subject of grammar: "Im a nurse so the use of "recieved" is used alot"
I ignored the "Im" (I'm), I bit my tongue on the "recieved" (received), but I had to speak up when I read the "alot" (a lot).
Sorry Lani, I don't want to pick on you, but I think many on this list would react the same to "alot" :)

Pedantically yours,
Colin.