Example of AmE vs BrE?

[emsr2d2]

Listening to the radio last night, I heard 2 radio DJs (British) interviewing an American folk singer, and I noticed an interesting verb use. I'm wondering if it was an accident or if the following is acceptable in AmE:

DJ: So how long have you been singing?
Singer: I sang since I was a little girl.

Now, I realise that I would have expected an answer like "I've been singing for 10 years" as an appropriate answer to the exact question, but the point is that in BrE, her answer would be:

I've been singing since I was a little girl.

Is it correct that in AmE, the past simple would be used before "since" here?

 

[Barb_D]

If I were composing proper sentences, I would also say "I've been singing since..." or possibly "I've sung since..."

But perhaps when she started, she was thinking something like "I sang when I was just a little girl" and changed her direction as she went.

 

[BobK]

...
But perhaps when she started, she was thinking something like "I sang when I was just a little girl" and changed her direction as she went.

Sounds very probable. The syntax of speech is like that.

(Then of course it finds its way into a corpus, and then an academic says it's acceptable syntax [period - not something emollient like 'accepted in informal speech'], and then we have to go through the Descriptive vs Prescriptive wars all over again. ;-))

b

 

[Barb_D]

then we have to go through the Descriptive vs Prescriptive wars all over again. ;-))

b

In this war, the pen is surely mightier than the sword!

 

[konungursvia]

But if both sides are armed with pens?

 

[meobeo]

It's not very uncommon to hear even native English speakers say something seemingly grammatically incorrect. On one occassion, when I was listening to the BBC, a man from London being interviewed said :"Personally, I done it 7 years on me father's advice." It's just the way he speaks naturally, reflecting his dialect and it surely is not standard.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's not very uncommon to hear even native English speakers say something seemingly grammatically incorrect. On one occassion, when I was listening to the BBC, a man from London being interviewed said :"Personally, I done it 7 years on me father's advice." It's just the way he speaks naturally, reflecting his dialect and it surely is not standard.

Oh, I absolutely agree and when it's a BrE speaker speaking, I know when it's simply a dialect rather than a grammatical error. However, because the speaker in this example was American, I was interested to know if this was actually an accepted construction in AmE or simply a slip-up!

 

[Tdol]

we have to go through the Descriptive vs Prescriptive wars all over again. ;-))

b

Is there no room for a neutrality?

 

[SoothingDave]

Is there no room for a neutrality?

The only things in the middle of the road are dead possums. ;-)

 

[Tdol]

Kill or be roadkilled?

 

[emsr2d2]

The only things in the middle of the road are dead possums. ;-)

If the dead possum is in the middle of the road, I'm concerned about the abilities of the local drivers! Who the hell drives in the middle of the road? Very annoying, bad drivers, that's who!

 

[konungursvia]

Well, when you strike a possum it may fly several meters, and depending on the direction it was running, it may fly toward the median.

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, when you strike a possum it may fly several meters, and depending on the direction it was running, it may fly toward the median.

Apologies, I was being somewhat sarcastic.

 

[konungursvia]

I was just being facetious too.

 

[beachboy]

George Harrison used to say "me" instead of "my" very often! And I remember, on an interview, after having recorded the album "Band on the run" somewhere in Africa, Paul McCartney said: "When we arrove there.... ". Then he stopped and started laughing, and corrected himself... It´s on the dvd PUT IT THERE....

 

[emsr2d2]

George Harrison used to say "me" instead of "my" very often! And I remember, on an interview, after having recorded the album "Band on the run" somewhere in Africa, Paul McCartney said: "When we arrove there.... ". Then he stopped and started laughing, and corrected himself... It´s on the dvd PUT IT THERE....

With your example from George Harrison, that's a frequent regional variation.

South of England - "That's my mum".
North of England - "That's me mam".

Before I get lambasted for being so simplistic as to split the country simply into South and North, yes, I know it's more convoluted than that but it's a simplistic example.

I'll pass up your offer of watching Paul McCartney doing or saying anything at all, thanks. I loved the Beatles, but I can't stand "Macca" at all!

 

[beachboy]

Just take some time to listen to Dear Boy on youtube, and you might change your mind at least a bit... It was written in 71. The lyrics may not be amazing (although I like them), but the melody and vocals are something... But I´ll understand if you prefer other stuff!! Anyway, I´m thankful to the Beatles because I learned a lot of English from their music!!!! One day I´ll go back to Liverpool. In THIS life. Mark my words!!

 

[Daveyboy]

Listening to the radio last night, I heard 2 radio DJs (British) interviewing an American folk singer, and I noticed an interesting verb use. I'm wondering if it was an accident or if the following is acceptable in AmE:

DJ: So how long have you been singing?
Singer: I sang since I was a little girl.

Now, I realise that I would have expected an answer like "I've been singing for 10 years" as an appropriate answer to the exact question, but the point is that in BrE, her answer would be:

I've been singing since I was a little girl.

Is it correct that in AmE, the past simple would be used before "since" here?

Hello Emma, hey sorry for high jacking your post..:shock:

I just logged in and seen your PM that you sent me, sorry for not replying, I have not been on this forum for a while. Anyway I could not reply to your Pm, I think that people need to post at least 15 posts before they can send Pm's or reply [ I think..lol..]

How is your teaching going..? If you have Skype, you can add me with daveyboy283 we can chat on there about teaching the young ones, cheers Emma.

And yes Madrid is a nice place..:-D

 

[riquecohen]

Oh, I absolutely agree and when it's a BrE speaker speaking, I know when it's simply a dialect rather than a grammatical error. However, because the speaker in this example was American, I was interested to know if this was actually an accepted construction in AmE or simply a slip-up!

It´s neither accepted nor acceptable.

 

[konungursvia]

I think that`s to absolute. There are lots of midwest types who say `I seen`meaning both `I`ve seen` and I saw. This may be a similar regionalism.