Wasn't as bad as I expected/ I HAD expected?

[Ashraful Haque]

I know we say 'It's not as bad as I expected' when talking about the present. But when it's a past, for example after watching a movie. Should I say:
"It wasn't as bad as I had expected."
or
"It wasn't as bad as I expected"

I've found the second version in every movies and clips I've watched. Here are a few clips:

[video]https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/4393587a-96c4-4d4c-a254-0c7b3750b1c8[/video]

[video]https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/83ca0bde-667a-43eb-b648-30d106dbcdc8[/video]

 

[Tarheel]

I think both are used.

 

[jutfrank]

Even if many people wouldn't, I think you should try to use the past perfect version as this is an ideal context to use it.

(But then I would say that because I'm a teacher.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I know we say 'It's not as bad as I expected' when talking about the present. But when it's a past, for example after watching a movie. Should I say:
"It wasn't as bad as I had expected." Yes.
or
"It wasn't as bad as I expected" No.

In movies and in conversation, remember that few English speakers have perfect grammar — if there is such a thing.

The way movie characters talk tells you things about them, like their region, their class, their education, their time period.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

In movies and in conversation, remember that few English speakers have perfect grammar — if there is such a thing.

The way movie characters talk tells you things about them, like their region, their class, their education, their time period.

Would I sound a bit too formal if I say "It wasn't as bad as I had expected." in a casual conversation?

 

[GoesStation]

Would I sound a bit too formal if I say "It wasn't as bad as I had expected." in a casual conversation?

Yes, because we nearly always contract "I had" to I'd except when speaking emphatically. But using the past perfect doesn't sound formal.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

Yes, because we nearly always contract "I had" to I'd except when speaking emphatically. But using the past perfect doesn't sound formal.

I gave a University presentation last week and I used a lot of contractions such as gonna, couldn't, hasn't etc. Are these inappropriate in formal settings?

 

[emsr2d2]

"couldn't" and "hasn't" are fine, in my opinion. I wouldn't use "gonna" in a presentation. It's not a contraction - it's a non-standard (if common) way of saying "going to".

 

[Ashraful Haque]

Unless we are speaking deliberately slowly and carefully, we often produce 'going to as something like 'gonna'. If you deliberately try to produce 'gonna', you are likely to sound too casual.

I personally think I speak too fast and as a result make some grammatical mistakes sometimes even though most native speakers say that I sound very good. I'm trying to(tryna) slow down but is 'gonna' an uneducated thing to say?

 

[jutfrank]

No, absolutely not.

 

[GoesStation]

... is 'gonna' an uneducated thing to say?

No. For example, I think you'd hear it from older members of the British royal family who would not say things like wanna.

 

[jutfrank]

No. For example, I think you'd hear it from older members of the British royal family who would not say things like wanna.

I love the association of the older members of the British royal family as examples of the most educated speakers!

 

[GoesStation]

I love the association of the older members of the British royal family as examples of the most educated speakers!

I started to write a longer post, explaining that while the royal family is not known for attaining higher degrees, it has traditionally upheld a certain standard of English usage. But the topic got beyond me and I gave up.

 

[jutfrank]

I was just teasing you, GS. It's obvious you were thinking of being educated in the ways of speaking 'proper' English, not in the sense of university degrees.

Ain't nobody who speaks the Queen's English better than our dear old Queen herself.

(And I do at least like to imagine her turning out a casual gonna from time to time. I know for sure that Charles does—I've heard it from him.)

 

[GoesStation]

I almost mentioned Charlie as an exemplar of this usage in my post.