forgot or forgotten

ESL   Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:06 pm GMT
Hi,

1. [The lesson of 9/11 must not be forgot.] This sentence was spoken by GWB. When I listened to the sentence , my mind stopped for a second and questioned a word "forgot" in the sentence, It should not have been "forgotten". Or is it okay to use "forgot" in AmE?

2. [We are driving in the same car.] I heard the sentence in one of CSI episodes. Does it mean we are on the same length in a particular situation?

Thanks.
Josh Lalonde   Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:22 pm GMT
1. I would use 'forgotten' in this case, but I'm not sure if 'forgot' is wrong.

2. It's hard to tell for sure without the whole context, but it seems like a variation of "we're in the same boat". Basically, it means "we're both involved in this situation in the same way, so we'd better work together to make sure it turns out well for both of us" (more or less).
Guest   Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:30 pm GMT
2. A guy and a girl came out of their investigation lab where they had performed certain tasks on a dead body and when they were in the entrance hall they had said above mentioned sentence. Nowhere they had mentioned a liking for cars when they were talking. They were pretty much on the issue of figuring out clues for catching a culprit.
ESL   Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:32 pm GMT
Thee above post was by me.
Skipy   Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:11 pm GMT
It's "forgotten." "Forgot" doesn't sound right to me...
Guest   Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:26 pm GMT
<< [The lesson of 9/11 must not be forgot.] This sentence was spoken by GWB. When I listened to the sentence , my mind stopped for a second and questioned a word "forgot" in the sentence, It should not have been "forgotten". Or is it okay to use "forgot" in AmE? >>

It's definitely not standard but it's quite often used in informal, vernacular speech. A famous example of this usage would be this opening line to a well known song:

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot..."
nessie   Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:53 pm GMT
in that sentence the right way to say it is forgotten
Guest   Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:24 am GMT
It's kind of like how some people say "I've went" instead of "I've gone".
ESL   Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:43 am GMT
GWB is a native speaker of the language who should get atleast basic structures right.
Guest   Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:57 am GMT
Native speakers don't always speak entirely correctly according to prescribed standards, but Bush is known for saying things incorrectly even by normal standards, like when he said "misunderestimate".
Kendra   Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:23 am GMT
http://m-w.org/dictionary/forgot

Main Entry: for·get
Pronunciation: f&r-'get, for-
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): for·got /-'gät/; for·got·ten /-'gä-t&n /; or -got;



FORGOTTEN or FORGOT like
GOTTEN or GOT ;)

I call it logic. ;)
eu   Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:46 am GMT
Forgot is in American English - forgotten is in British - and of course, this is the correct form. Many years ago, some British linguists accused Americans for destroying their language...and I'm sure, they were right!
Guest   Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:49 am GMT
In American English it's "out the window", in British English it's "out of the window". Why did American's drop the "of"?
Noons   Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:38 am GMT
''some British linguists accused Americans for destroying their language...and I'm sure, they were right!''

I guess it's American fault only 3% of British speakers use standard English (RP)...
innit?   Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:54 am GMT
I blame the British for Estuary!