'Learnt or Learned' 'Whose or who's'

Ugawa · Sep 21, 2008

I'm from the U.K so i've been writing:

learnt instead of learned
leant instead of leaned

and so on. Which one should i use?

Also which one would i use whose or who's? Do they mean the same thing?

This makes me sound like an idiot . Lol. But i keep going through brain dead moments.

XX

maestrowork · Sep 21, 2008

If you're writing for an UK audience about UK characters, use the UK spelling (learnt, dreamt, leapt, etc.) I've used "dreamt" and "learnt" for a long while until I learned (pun intended) to use the American spellings.

Who's and whose are not the same thing. Who's = who is or who has. Whose is a processive:

Who's the guy who was here before? Who's eaten my sandwich?

Whose shoes are loose? He's the guy whose shoes are loose.

Ugawa · Sep 21, 2008

Okay, thank you ^^

XX

TheIT · Sep 21, 2008

maestrowork said:
Who's and whose are not the same thing. Who's = who is or who has. Whose is a processive:

Who's the guy who was here before? Who's eaten my sandwich?

Whose shoes are loose? He's the guy whose shoes are loose.

Maestrowork, I think you mean "possessive".

Ugawa · Sep 22, 2008

I knew what he meant anyway

XX

qwerty · Sep 22, 2008

As a Brit writer I'm confused to hear "learned" is the American spelling. I learned that version at school in England, and my dictionary supports the use of it and many other ed words in British English. It also gives learnt, but we're always being told that, whichever of any available alternatves we choose, we need to be consistent.

If I want to say someone did jump, I say they jumped because you can't say jumpt. So, to be consistent, I would say they stepped rather than they stept.

Again for consistency, we can fairly safely rely on most instances lending themselves to an ed ending, whereas: She playt with her kitten who lickt her hand and walkt away . . .

I know, I know - you can't say sleeped instead of slept, but I did say "most" instances.

Bufty · Sep 23, 2008

Qwerty - go back to sleep. The confusion will pass -trust me. :Hug2:

qwerty · Sep 23, 2008

But I slepted already.

Ugawa · Sep 26, 2008

I see what you mean qwerty, but i've always spelt and learnt(no pun intended) it as leant, learnt. And it doesn't look, sound right as learned and leaned.

XX

Bartholomew · Sep 26, 2008

I've always dreamt and slept, but I've never learnt, leant, or spelt.

Adipocere · Oct 1, 2008

I've never even seen the word "leant". It would send me running to a dictionary!

How is it pronounced?

qwerty · Oct 1, 2008

As a Brit, I was a bit concerned that someone said learnt and leant were UK usage, as opposed to US usage being learned and leaned.

I think leant is pronounced as lent, but to me that means I let someone borrow from me.

Bartholomew, have you ever day-dreamt?

Mr Flibble · Oct 1, 2008

I think leant is pronounced as lent,

Indeed it is. Of course as with so many words that sound the same but mean different things it's all in the context

I've learnt, leant, spelt, slept, leapt, even smelt ( which really confused a US beta - 'what the hell has fish got to do with it!').

And it doesn't look, sound right as learned and leaned.

Not to me either. Maybe I'm showing my bumpkin roots

Bufty · Oct 1, 2008

The lean learned professor leant on his companion who in turn leaned against the wall, having learnt from experience that when leaning professors lean too far they tend to make one lose one's balance. :flag:

Mr Flibble · Oct 1, 2008

Tut tut young Padawan

that 'leaned against the wall' should have been leant

'Learnt or Learned' 'Whose or who's'

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

qwerty

exiled Brit

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

qwerty

exiled Brit

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

Bartholomew

Comic guy

Adipocere

qwerty

exiled Brit

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble