LL-L "Language learning" 2008.04.19 (08) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 19 April 2008 - Volume 08
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From: heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language learning" 2008.04.19 (01) [E]

Sandy wrote: No, from then on, they get it wrong! Because if it's
thought/think, it
should be bought/bink and brought/brink. Or else thought/thuy  :)

But then this would also be an example of over correction! Thinking that
there are only two sorts of verbs   irregular / strong sing sang sung   and
regular/ weak    look looked looked

But in fact English has three as has its parent language German  -
irregular/regular & mixed for which there is good historical provenance: and
think / thought  buy / bought are examples of mixed verbs.

Again quite easy to teach:-

irregular      uses root vowel change to change to past tense:   past
participle ends in 'n' or no ending     ride rode ridden    swim swam swum

regular     root stays the same throughout:  adds -ed (or -t sound)  to make
past tense  : past participle ends in -ed    push  pushed   pushed

mixed - as its name implies does both: changes its root vowel and adds -t to
make the past participle.  teach taught     sleep slept    think thought
etc

(also some oddities such as put   put  put    or  read   read   read)

I seem to remember we 'argued' this before on the forum. I hold to the
school of thought that believes that if there is traceable historical
descent, then there is reason to use something. If a lack of understanding
is the reason for 'misapplying' a word or form, then that is sheer laziness.
And who would want the future developement of their language to be based on
laziness?

Heather

too late at night to stop myself from answering!!! ;-)
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Heather, you wrote:

> But in fact English has three as has its parent language German

I beg your pardon?

Most perturbed ...
Reinhard/Ron

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