Forgot\Left

I ____ my homework at home.


  • Total voters
    299

Casiopea

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I've had this discussion with many many English teaching friends over here from the US, UK, Canada, Oz and NZ and generally they agree.
What do they agree with, and why? :-D

Mercian said:
I teach that 'forgot' in this context is wrong, but acceptable conversational colloquial AE.
OK, but why, though, do you believe or feel it's "wrong", and in contrast, why do you believe or feel that it's acceptable? Moreover, what does converstaional colloquial AE mean exactly? Is that a euphemism for spoken American English, and if so, do students actually write, I left my homework at home? Additionally, why support your conclusion about the acceptability of spoken AE on judgements from non-AE speakers; i.e. UK, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand. How do their assumptions factor in here?

You don't need science, you're right. But, and what I can't seem to untangle here is that you seem to be basing your acceptability judgements on just that, a scientific method, albeit unscientifically: polling native English speakers from around the globe about the acceptability of an AE written form that's never actually used in writing. Where's the point in all of that? Please explain. :-D
 

Niskelton

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Forgot and left have quite different meanings - Forgot is an absence of thought - I stopped thinking about something - I failed to remember - I did not have it in mind.
Left means I deposited something, or failed to remove it from a place. (again slightly different meanings, one implying intent the other not )
Now, by not having your homework in mind, you may well have failed to remove it from your home, but they are two separate and distinct actions. the two verbs cannot be interchangeable. They may both be correct , but with different meanings
'I left my homework at home' Means I failed to remove my homework from home. Motive or intent is not mentioned
'I forgot my homework at home' means that while I was at home I stopped thinking about my homework. That could mean that I did not take it out of my bag - so I did not do it - but it is still in my bag here at school - and not done.
if the intention is to say that I do not have my homework here because it is at home due to my forgetfulness, then you need to say "I left my homework at home"
 

pacific85

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Aug 23, 2007
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It's an easy sentence to disscuss!....All of You've already known!....
 

Teia

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I`d say :

I forgot to do my homework.

and, with a difference in meaning:

I left my homework at home.
 

Mimiann

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Imagine the scene.... Classroom at the beginning of the lesson...
Teacher: Good morning everyone. Can I please have your homework. Jo I don't seem to have yours! Where is it?
Jo:Oh Miss! I'm sorry I forgot (to bring) it! I left it at home!
Teacher: And where is yours Sam? Have you forgotten too?
Sam:Yeh miss.. sorry it was my birthday and I completely forgot! (to do it)
Teacher: OK I shall expect both of you to remember to bring your completed homework to school tomorrow and give it to me before registration!

forgot being used here as the opposite of remembered

I hope this helps!! :)
 

TAReber

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Forgetting your home work at home does not negate the fact that the homework was left at home. Whether or not it was purposefully or accidental is irrelevant.

Edit: I had stated that forgetting and leaving behind were not the same. This was true in a sense, and not true(i'm now slightly confused). Forgetting is leaving behind, but leaving behind does not necessarily mean forgetting. Because the issue at hand was whether or not the homework was left at home, and not why it was left at home, makes it possible for both answers to be acceptable.
 
Last edited:

RonBee

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i think "forgot" is right
Most of the people who voted in this poll agree with you. However, most of them are ESL learners.

I left my homework at home - When I left home to go to school my homework was at home; I didn't take it with me.

I forgot my homework - I didn't remember to take it with me.

:)
 

Fazzu

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Why isn't it left?:-?
 

RonBee

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johnnycage

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hey there,

sorry guys but we dont use forget when we mention the place so left is correct
 

Lirazyeru

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Mar 17, 2009
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is it common to say i left my hw's in BE?
i am sorry, i read it all and still didnt get the point.
xx
 
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[ Ive voted for 'Left', and now I'm quite sure about it...Tdol is a native speaker aware of wot's going on in an English speaking country!
 

Huda-M

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I think I left my homework would be the right answer-like if you didn't bring your homework copy, surely you left it at your home.
 

The French

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That wasn't my vote- in BE, we don't use 'forget' with the place.I have now voted for 'left', which is what we'd say. 'Forgot' is something students use, but which is tested and marked wrong. We need more votes here. ;-)

Hello teacher,

why it is not possible to use the verb 'forget' with places? It is just only a BE grammar rule or also for American people.

Thanks for your replies (I am not a teacher, just a French learner who try to improve alone his English).
;-)
 
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