Forgot\Left

[Tdol]

;-)

 

[RonBee]

I imagined a youngster saying, "I forgot my homework at home." So I voted Either. Then I changed my mind.

"I forgot my homework" is, of course, more likely.

 

[Tdol]

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. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

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. ;-)

We don't usually use "forgot" with the place in AE either. (Somebody did vote for that.) The computer wouldn't let me change my vote.

We need somebody to break the tie.

:wink:

 

[Casiopea]

;-)

Both

I forgot my homework. SVO
I forgot my homework at home. SVO+adjunct modifier
I left my homework at home. SVOC
I left my homework. (Not OK)


____________
S = subject
V = verb
O = object
C = complement (modifies 'homework', e.g. my homework is at home.)

NP = noun phrase
VP = verb phrase
IP = inflectional phrase = sentence

 

[Tdol]

In BE, 'forgot it at home' is frowned upon. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

;-)

Both

I forgot my homework. SVO
I forgot my homework at home. SVO+adjunct modifier
I left my homework at home. SVOC
I left my homework. (Not OK)


____________
S = subject
V = verb
O = object
C = complement (modifies 'homework', e.g. my homework is at home.)

NP = noun phrase
VP = verb phrase
IP = inflectional phrase = sentence

Interesting analysis. But you didn't vote that way.

:wink:

 

[Casiopea]

In BE, 'forgot it at home' is frowned upon. ;-)

Me thinks the frownage has something to do with omission:

I forgot that I left my homework at home. (OK)
I forgot (that I left) my homework at home. (Non-BE, OK)

 

[Tdol]

It gets a double frown:

1- for the cheap lie (teachers prefer more imaginative lies)
2- for using a non-standard BE expression

Much better to say that your neighbours python swallowed it and won't give it back. ;-)

 

[Casiopea]

Why frown on "I forgot this"? I'm confus-ED.

It's the same as "I forgot (that I left my homework at home)" wherein 'at home' modifies 'left', which OK in BE. No? Help. Mind falling off edge of world.

 

[Tdol]

Your example with 'that' works, but the basic sentence 'I forgot it at home' is not regarded as good BE. I can't give you a rational explanation- it's just something that many say is wrong. I suppose the idea is that you are inplying that the forgetting took place in the home rather than the location of the object. Not that that makes much sense, IMO. I think it's just a BE quirk. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Hm. Interesting discussion. I don't feel so bad about my "goof" now that Cas supports that version. I do think that ("I forgot it at home") is something a native speaker might say. However, more likely is I forgot to bring it.

• Teacher: Where is your homework?
  Student: I forgot to bring it.

Hm.

 

[Tdol]

It's clearly not a goof, but yet another example of AE\BE differences. Also, many native speakers would say it here, but then the teacher might well correct them. ;-)

 

[Mustafa Uslu]

In normal standard Eglish 'left smt.',but 'forget to do smt.' OK.

 

[Tdol]

I fully agree. ;-)

 

[Firelord]

hey...what's BE? how about AE?

 

[Tdol]

BE may be a minority form, but it is what I speak. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

Your example with 'that' works, but the basic sentence 'I forgot it at home' is not regarded as good BE. I can't give you a rational explanation- it's just something that many say is wrong. I suppose the idea is that you are inplying that the forgetting took place in the home rather than the location of the object. Not that that makes much sense, IMO. I think it's just a BE quirk. ;-)

I don't think "I forgot that I left my homework at home" works any better than "I forgot my homework at home". It doesn't have the same meaning. Perhaps "I forgot to bring my homework from home" would be a substitution, but that is too much ellipsis. I also frown on "I forgot my homework at home." It sounds as if the forgetting occurred at home.

 

[Tdol]

In a sense, the forgetting did take place at home. But then again, it usually means 'I haven't done it yet'. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

In a sense, the forgetting did take place at home. But then again, it usually means 'I haven't done it yet'. ;-)

If one forgot that he left his homework at home, one wouldn't be able to speak that sentence. :wink: