smelled/smelt, burned/burnt

[llthors]

Which is proper usage:

The burn site smelled/smelt of wet smoke.
I burned/burnt the muffins.

I am running across "t", "nt" as past tense - is it proper or not. I was taught - not: but I've been known to be wrong.

[TheParser]

Which is proper usage:

The burn site smelled/smelt of wet smoke.
I burned/burnt the muffins.

I am running across "t", "nt" as past tense - is it proper or not. I was taught - not: but I've been known to be wrong.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Llthors,

(1) We Americans always spell those words as smelled and

burned.

(2) The other spellings are from our British friends.

(3) You would usually come across those spellings only in

non-American writing.

(4) Occasionally, a few fellow Americans will use British

spelling because they think it is more "elegant" or "exotic."

Have you noticed sometimes theatre instead of theater?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

[llthors]

Brilliant!

I have noticed the use of t and nt in British writings although I am amazed at how many Americans use these forms in their day-to-day conversations.

Thought maybe I had missed the boat in the learning curve as I did with the 'new math'.

Thanks so much for your answer.

Another one is acrosst: I ran acrosst it yesterday. I know that is just wrong!

[5jj]

Another one is acrosst: I ran acrosst it yesterday. I know that is just wrong! You're right - it's wrong.

With some pairs, there is even a change of pronunciation in the vowel, eg: dreamed dreamt, /driːmd dremt/

[TheParser]

Brilliant!

I have noticed the use of t and nt in British writings although I am amazed at how many Americans use these forms in their day-to-day conversations.

Thought maybe I had missed the boat in the learning curve as I did with the 'new math'.

Thanks so much for your answer.

Another one is acrosst: I ran acrosst it yesterday. I know that is just wrong!

***** NOT a teacher *****


I am also amazed to hear that in Virginia many Americans use those

forms. I live in the western part of our country, so we would never

do something so pretentious as that. Where I live the majority of

immigrants come from countries where American English was taught.

But there are large groups of immigrants here who probably learned

British English, so they may, indeed, use those forms. I do not know.

Furthermore, Virginia was one of the original 13 British colonies. Would

that account for the fact that some people are still using those forms?

Thank you again for that fascinating bit of information.

***** NOT a teacher *****