Since we are on this topic, can I ask a question about the verb "to be"? I see quite a few posters who consistently omit the "to be" predicate from sentences. I was wondering if this is a regional thing?
An example of what I am talking about would be "My house needs cleaned." I would say this as "My house needs TO BE cleaned." I've never heard anyone phrase it the first way in person but I see it on here all the time so I am wondering if it is regional.
You don't think people are just making typo/writing quickly? I've never heard some one leave out to be (though they might say my house needs cleaning) in real life.
You don't think people are just making typo/writing quickly? I've never heard some one leave out to be (though they might say my house needs cleaning) in real life.
You probably don't live in Western PA then.
Nope. I traveled all over the midwest for years and never picked up on this and it appears to be all over the midwest/rust belt region.
My guess with this one is that some some people confuse the "ex-t" sound with "ex-ed" and there you go. I haven't noticed it much, myself (and I *would* notice).
Okay, I do recall seeing a particular post with "text" repeated as the past tense form of the verb. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt, it was a really big wall of words and I (ETA: SEEEE!)my chance for stupid mistakes goes up with the size of my post.
I really am curious, though- what are these people hearing and how is that translating to their writing? Are they hearing "tex" and (weirdly?) assuming it's being treated irregularly in past tense, like the kept/slept/leapt/wept crew? Or is it along my other line of thought, they're mistaking "xt" for "xed" and just accept that it has an odd spelling (it is a fairly new verb, after all)?
It is fascinating to watch language develop, even if it's nails on a chalkboard sometimes.
Neither sounds exactly right because text is a noun.
But hasn't it seemed to have morphed into a verb?
"I'll text you the details." Instead of, "I will send you a text with the details."
"We were texting about party plans." Instead of, "We were sending texts to each other about party plans."
" No texting allowed in class." Instead of, "No sending texts in class."
Sure, as have other nouns (like "telephone"). I recognize that the language is constantly evolving, but until about 2003 "text" was exclusively a noun so it still doesn't quite sit right as a verb. Hence the disagreement about proper past tense (I vote for "texted").
"I'll text you the details." Instead of, "I will send you a text with the details."
"We were texting about party plans." Instead of, "We were sending texts to each other about party plans."
" No texting allowed in class." Instead of, "No sending texts in class."
Sure, as have other nouns (like "telephone"). I recognize that the language is constantly evolving, but until about 2003 "text" was exclusively a noun so it still doesn't quite sit right as a verb. Hence the disagreement about proper past tense (I vote for "texted").
Sure, as have other nouns (like "telephone"). I recognize that the language is constantly evolving, but until about 2003 "text" was exclusively a noun so it still doesn't quite sit right as a verb. Hence the disagreement about proper past tense (I vote for "texted").
I know it hurts, but, I feel like adapting with some speed gets us out ahead of the totally clueless, so we can at least establish the word in a semi-regular way. Can you imagine if the "I text you yesterday" people won? How miserable we'd be???
Since we are on this topic, can I ask a question about the verb "to be"? I see quite a few posters who consistently omit the "to be" predicate from sentences. I was wondering if this is a regional thing?
An example of what I am talking about would be "My house needs cleaned." I would say this as "My house needs TO BE cleaned." I've never heard anyone phrase it the first way in person but I see it on here all the time so I am wondering if it is regional.
This is definitely regional. We drop the verb "to be" in Western PA constantly. It doesn't even sound wrong to me. I spend most of my day at work writing and I still tell my husband that DS "needs changed."
SORRY EVERYONE.
Same in Amish Country. Outen the damn lights. I'm PA Dutch and the English language is not our strong suit. Quit your brutzing.
I feel so vindicated seeing this. One of my good friends says "text" and thinks it sounds "ignorant" (!!!) to say "texted." I was all, "Well, I'm pretty sure past tense is correct ..."