Which is correct? I was told that on is American and another is British, and that people will tell you that you are wrong if you use the wrong ending in the wrong country. This is very confusing to me, who can clarify???
dreamt vs dreamed
I would not say that they are specifically "American" versus "British". For instance, I myself use both "dreamt" (["dZr\E~mt] or ["dZr\E~mpt]) and "dreamed" (["dZr\i~:md] or ["dZr\i~:mt]), with no particular pattern in my usage of such.
I could be wrong, but I really don't think that either one is "American" or "British". I'm American and I tend to say both, it's just whatever I feel like saying at the time.
I would not say that the difference here is between North American English and English English (aka "American" versus "British", even though such is very inaccurate in reality) but rather between conservative and progressive forms. In this case, "dreamt' is conservative and "dreamed' is progressive. That said, it might true that the regularization of irregular weak forms such as these is more common in North American English than in English English. (But this itself is not always true, as in some dialects certain irregular weak part participles have been made even more irregular rather than more regular.)
I'm American and I always use "dreamt," but the rest of my family uses "dreamed." Certain variants, though, like "whilst" or "spelt" are rarely used in the States.
At least in this part of the US, one can still encounter "whilst" and "spelt" in use, even if they are definitely on the more formal side here.
Edo, those terms are still in wide usage with older Southerners.
I use "spelt", "ruint", "dreamt", on a regular basis, and have been taken to task for it from time to time. (On one occasion, I got into a rather heated argument in an Internet Chatroom over it). On a related note, my generation says "humble" with the silent "h". Nowadays they pronounce the "h". I've never heard "whilst" except on an Englishman.
My understanding is that the younger generation of Southerners doesn't use these terms anymore. Language is constantly evolving, isn't it?
I use "spelt", "ruint", "dreamt", on a regular basis, and have been taken to task for it from time to time. (On one occasion, I got into a rather heated argument in an Internet Chatroom over it). On a related note, my generation says "humble" with the silent "h". Nowadays they pronounce the "h". I've never heard "whilst" except on an Englishman.
My understanding is that the younger generation of Southerners doesn't use these terms anymore. Language is constantly evolving, isn't it?
I prefer -ed forms (dreamed, spelled, learned).
Ps
but not sneaked or dived.
Ps
but not sneaked or dived.
<<Edo, those terms are still in wide usage with older Southerners.>>
I'm a 68-year old Southerner and I use "spelt" and "dreamt". Note that for me, the past tense of "ruin" is actually pronounced [r\3`nt] "rurnt".
I'm a 68-year old Southerner and I use "spelt" and "dreamt". Note that for me, the past tense of "ruin" is actually pronounced [r\3`nt] "rurnt".
yeah I've read that the"spelt" for is prevalent in Britain and the American South
I've lived in the south more than in any other part of the US, but I may have been ruint by living overseas for long periods of time. I'm quite a bit younger than the gentleman who shared their ages here, though.
I say "ruint" as a joke sometimes. I use both "dreamed" and "dreamt" I think. "Spelt" reminds me of a grain, but I might use it if another speaker used the term first.
I say "ruint" as a joke sometimes. I use both "dreamed" and "dreamt" I think. "Spelt" reminds me of a grain, but I might use it if another speaker used the term first.
How old are you and everybody else? I thought most people here were young, like Josh, Franco, furrykef (and most others who don't post under a regular nickname)
I mean "gentlemen"...
I'm pretty sure that one of my friends who grew up in a less populous county would use these terms. Dang! Come to think of it, it's much EASIER to say "Dreamt" and "Ruint" and "Spelt"...That "ed" on the end is just so much effort...
I'm pretty sure that one of my friends who grew up in a less populous county would use these terms. Dang! Come to think of it, it's much EASIER to say "Dreamt" and "Ruint" and "Spelt"...That "ed" on the end is just so much effort...