dsweeton
New member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2011
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
Lately, I have been hearing sentences such as:
"My car needs fixed, so I will take it to the shop".
It drives me crazy to hear that. The past tense verb "fixed" is being used as though a gerund or as an infinitive without "to".
I would normally use either the present progressive tense:
"My car needs fixing, so I will take it to the shop".
or use an infinitive:
"My car needs to be fixed, so I will take it to the shop".
My question is: Is the use of the past tense verb in his manner acceptable grammer,
or is it a colloquialism, and if so, how widespread is the colloquialism?
"My car needs fixed, so I will take it to the shop".
It drives me crazy to hear that. The past tense verb "fixed" is being used as though a gerund or as an infinitive without "to".
I would normally use either the present progressive tense:
"My car needs fixing, so I will take it to the shop".
or use an infinitive:
"My car needs to be fixed, so I will take it to the shop".
My question is: Is the use of the past tense verb in his manner acceptable grammer,
or is it a colloquialism, and if so, how widespread is the colloquialism?