Could someone tell me, which is considered better for formal writting in the irregular conjugations -ed or -t?

Question

I am not asking personal opinions but perhaps someone with based knowledge in the area, or with refferences. In verbs such as

burn, dream, learn, spill, spoil, etc we can have to terminationso n the past participle. ed or t (learnt, dreamnt etc). the first is more American, the second more Brittish, but nothing states that either is wrong in neither dialect...so...who can help me?

Answer 1

There are some verbs that will allow both versions (like "dream") but some verbs will only allow one of them. So make sure that you are using an ending that is a true possibility for that verb.

The answer to this quetsion will depend a lot on your audience for the writing, and what the audience's expectations are. So if you are writing for an American audience, use the -ed endings, and if you are writing for a British audience, use the -t endings.

Answer 2

Both forms are commonly used around the English speaking world- to the chagrin of older generations. 'ed' is more common in America and 't' is more commonly used in the commonwealth, thus is the earlier (traditional) way of saying these irregular verbs. Its like the demise of adverbs- you can thank the lazy way American youth speak- real instead of really for example, on tv for the demise of 'proper' English. It depends on where you're from as to what you'll prefer- and really that's all it is, a preference.

Answer 3

Like you say, I think it is more of a dialectal choice. However, I would say.... -ed as the more popular choice:

burned ('burnt' may refer to toast as an adjective while 'burned' may refer to a verb)
dreamed, learned, spilled, spoiled... etc.

Also, I think it has a lot to do with the flow in the word environment.

Answer 4

I think you hit the nail on the head when you made a reference to the American and British difference.

In the U.S., it's largely taught using -ed. Students who learn under the British system, however, are taught using -t.

So, as far as your formal writing, play to your audience. If it's for the U.S., go with -ed. If it's for our friends on the other side of the pond, use -t.