Since both are used for possession why is the sentence "I had got a hamster when I was little" wrong?
(Exercise in English coursebook, suggesting that the correct answer is "I had a hamster when I was little").
2007-01-24 22:50:55 · 16 answers · asked by maggie 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Actually, GOT is incorrect English. I was taught this at school many years ago.
We use GOT as a past participle of the verb to GET. It actually should be GOTTEN, but who says 'gotten' these days!!??
It is used to put stress on statements such as " I have GOT TO have it!!" The correct way to say that would be "I HAVE to have it."
or, "I MUST have it."
It is very often unnecessary. . .In your example it is totally unnecessary.
If you were referring to the fact you POSSESSED a hamster,
you would just say "I had a hamster....".
If you were talking about acquiring a hamster, you would say: "I had bought," or, "I had been given".. . . . "Got" is not needed.
2007-01-24 23:37:46 · answer #1 · answered by cloud43 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Think about what is said, to get the verb is the attainment of something, EG Americanese, I have gotten a cold is correct. Nowadays also I have a cold. That means that the person has currently, and probably p1ssed off about, catching said cold, however, if he had gotten rid of it, then he would have attained the state of achieving the loss of same and got better but now had had a cold, or had got rid of the cold.
This however may be further confused by, for example, saying I could not come as I had got a cold. This means that in the past he had achieved the state of having a cold.
You could however say about said hamster then that for your 6th. birthday you had gotten a hamster, but probably these days you would use I had a hamster for my 6th. birthday.
Does it sort of make sense, some of it is due to the language moving on.
2007-01-24 23:10:15 · answer #2 · answered by rinfrance 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree that 'had got' is tautologous - says the same thing twice. In English English 'got' is thought to be an ugly construction and I was taught at school never to use it. Instead of 'I got a hamster for my birthday' say 'I was given a hamster for my birthday' The Americans, of course, use the old construction of 'gotten' which has fallen out of use this side of the pond.
2007-01-24 23:16:31 · answer #3 · answered by rdenig_male 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
tremendous question madhavi:) you recognize regardless of the actuality that those words sound synonimous yet nonetheless there lies a "deep" large difference !! Happiness would properly be discovered of issues which received't also be helpful to our non secular or psychological ingredient like we would bypass out & have our prominent dish & outfits etc., we may sense satisfied. yet delight comes from a form of achievent, if we get good grades in study we may get a favorable feeling that announces "complicated note paid off" now thats better isn't it ;p[ Now peace.... i imagine it relies upon on what approach we undertake towads the "events" we do for "happiness" or both "delight", peace extremely exist in our self, it only must be discovered through us. someone of lack of understanding may sense peace even as a complicated worker may be strresed. it would properly be even oposite to that . So peace desires to discovered through us.
2016-10-16 02:09:03 · answer #4 · answered by debbie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Had" refers to a continuous state of possession during a period in the past ("I had a hamster when I was little), "got" would refer to the occasion of taking possession ("I got a hamster for my 6th birthday").
2007-01-24 23:05:06 · answer #5 · answered by Sangmo 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Got would be redundant in that sentence. since you would be using 2 possessives.
Got is a lazy addition to the english language. it isnt needed since we already have "have, had..." or any past tense uses you can come up with. "i got some mail" i recieved some mail...
2007-01-24 22:57:25 · answer #6 · answered by JCCamel 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
common mistake when writing is " should of " instead of "should have " beacause people say " should've " it gets wrongly lengthened, also avoid GOT its bad english when there are better words to replace it with or just delete it, you wont hear it on the news for good reason ....." today the president got bad news ......" they would say " today the president recieved bad news ".........hope this will help you in your exams etc ....
2007-01-24 23:06:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Who says "I had got...?"
The right answer is "I had a hamster when I was little".
2007-01-24 22:56:57 · answer #8 · answered by Nat 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Next time you have your dictionary in hand, look for the word "redundant" this will explain
2007-01-25 00:04:23 · answer #9 · answered by mrjomorisin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
JCCamel is absolutely right on both points ... but I'm only level one and can't give a thumbs-up vote!
2007-01-24 23:01:14 · answer #10 · answered by maxximumjoy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋