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Pedants' corner

got

(84 Posts)
JamesandJon33 Sun 08-Feb-26 11:15:03

Had a terrible time with a proofreader who changed most of my goes into gotten. Removed every one.

Shelflife Sun 08-Feb-26 11:07:18

Thanks DaisyAnne. Still learning, I will remember that! My prinary school has a lot to answer for !!

DaisyAnneReturns Sun 08-Feb-26 10:33:51

Whatever we are aiming to use we need to get past Primary School!

Fallingstar Sun 08-Feb-26 08:59:26

Perhaps we are aiming to use the word gotten as used in the US.

Grannmarie Sun 08-Feb-26 08:57:24

Also from primary school,
We never start a sentence with 'because', because 'because' is a joining word.

DaisyAnneReturns Sun 08-Feb-26 08:55:47

Shelflife

I remember in primary school the teacher saying " we never use the word 'got' its an ugly word. We also learned that when writing to never begin a sentence with the word ' And' .

You are right that Primary School teachers did tell children not to start sentences with, as I remember it, "and, but or because" but this is not a rule if grammar but a rule if thumb, generally to stop overuse of these words. The "adult" rules are:

You may begin a sentence with and or but when it improves clarity or emphasis.

You may begin a sentence with because as long as the sentence includes an independent clause.

In formal writing, do all three deliberately and sparingly.

Shelflife Sun 08-Feb-26 08:33:40

I remember in primary school the teacher saying " we never use the word 'got' its an ugly word. We also learned that when writing to never begin a sentence with the word ' And' .

Allsorts Sun 08-Feb-26 05:44:40

Received.

SORES Sun 08-Feb-26 05:23:52

a pet hate perhaps or well remembered from Primary School to avoid the use of ‘got’ - this is a favoured word at the DM as in ‘got married’
but this morning I read the Sunday Times headlines - “Peter Mandelson got a five figure payoff “ and was more shocked at ‘got’ than the amount of money.