Past participles may be an endangered species. I have heard increasing numbers of instances where the wrong words were used, due to a lack of knowledge or laziness. For example, in an animal attack, somebody often is bitten. Notice the “ten” in there: bitten is the past participle of the word bite. The creature in the past probably bit quite a few people, but those folks have been bitten.
Of course, some wiseguy may argue that somebody who is smitten (a euphemism for being overcome by affection) did not do so because somebody smit him or her (in fact, that individual smote them as our holy creator did to a few biblical miscreants*), but that is the way of the language, people.
Every time I hear somebody say, “I got bit,” I cringe. There is a “ten” in there. Some grammar experts feel both are acceptable in some usages, but I really prefer to hear the longer version. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, and letters add to the word count.
Our sense of grammar seems to be falling apart, and with penmanship on life support in public schools, we may be in danger of becoming incapable of communicating at all with our hands or voices.
Coming from a world in which “whey day at” is an accepted substitute for “where are they,” I guess rules are being bent all over the place. Like twisted metal. Arguing about grammar, like climate change, does not guarantee it being heard. The “not me” or NIMBY (not in my backyard) crowd pour from the doors of our colleges with no true idea of how much skill they lack.
I was an English major, and I am certain I lack a few key skills, too. At least I do feel it’s good to occasionally point out one or two, hoping to score a win.
I was bitten by the grammar bug early in life, and can’t unbite it.
*(Of course, smiting when God did it in the Bible usually meant the smitees were killed, and unless we want to get into a big discussion about what love does to a person, let’s just move on.)
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