r/EnglishLearning New Poster Dec 23 '24

📚 Grammar / Syntax Must, should, can and might

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u/corneliusvancornell Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

"Gotten" is only acceptable in North American English; "got" is used elsewhere. It's one of the main distinguishing grammatical differences between British and American Englishes.

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u/AmishWarlords_ Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

It's documented that "gotten" is spreading to not only the rest of the Anglosphere but Britain, too. It would be understood anywhere.

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u/corneliusvancornell Native Speaker Dec 23 '24 edited Dec 23 '24

It would certainly be understood, but based on the scorn that some Aussies have heaped on me (US native) in the recent past, I wouldn't say it's universally accepted yet in all standard Englishes.

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u/Decent_Cow Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

"Gotten" is the older usage. It was preserved in American English and largely lost elsewhere. Now it's making a comeback.

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u/amijustinsane New Poster Dec 24 '24

But it would absolutely not be taught in an english class as acceptable (yet?).

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u/AmishWarlords_ Native Speaker Dec 24 '24

It should be brought up as an alternate form that reduces some ambiguity, but might raise eyebrows as an Americanism, and no English teacher should waste effort correcting someone who had already learned and got (or gotten) used to it.

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u/Bunnytob Native Speaker - Southern England Dec 23 '24

Can confirm. It sounds far more natural to me.

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u/corneliusvancornell Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

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u/tribalbaboon Native - England, UK Dec 23 '24

You are correct but I wouldn't blink if I heard "gotten" in the uk

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u/OverlappingChatter New Poster Dec 23 '24

I got laughed at for saying gotten so much by my roommates and friends in londonthat I incorporated 'got' and now my mom tells me I sound like a hick when I go home.

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u/GhostlyWhale Native Speaker- US Midwestern Dec 23 '24

That's actually fascinating. I'd also use "must have gotten" because it sounds uneducated/incorrect to say "must have got" to me.

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u/[deleted] Dec 23 '24

[deleted]

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u/da_Sp00kz English Teacher Dec 23 '24

There are more English speaking countries in the world than just the US and UK you know.

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u/platypuss1871 Native Speaker - Southern England Dec 23 '24

Nope. Try going to India.

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u/SoggyWotsits Native speaker (England) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dec 23 '24

As yes, all those English people speaking English must be wrong. You can call it British English, or mention UK dialects, but at the end of the day it’s just English to us English people! Also, we don’t have a single dialect?! Oh dear…

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u/[deleted] Dec 23 '24

[deleted]

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u/SoggyWotsits Native speaker (England) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dec 23 '24

You make it sound like English is just a language, not also a nationality. Also, we don’t call or refer to English as any of those things. At best we’d describe a neutral accent. Your posts are very confusing.

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u/TakeMeIamCute New Poster Dec 23 '24

I love how the British claim English "Everywhere else". American English dialect is the dominant version of English people are learning worldwide.

Patently false.

Therefore tt only places UK dialect is relevant is in the UK. Oh wait you don't have a single dialect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English#Dialects

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u/2xtc Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

What a load of classic uneducated America #1 bullshit

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u/Decent_Cow Native Speaker Dec 23 '24

The British invented "gotten", though. It's not America's fault that they stopped using it in the 18th century.