Two English Questions (869)
Feb 20th 2010 11:09
Hello again friends and teachers on Lang-8!
Can I ask you two questions on English grammar?
First one:
When I was reading an English newspaper a little before, I found this unique English.
Let's get started! I can get the meaning of this English in Japanese.
In Japanese, we say like this. 始めましょう！（やってみよう！or 始めよう！） So my question is about the difference between "Let's start!" and "Let's get stared!" Can I also say, "Let's begin?" If I could say "Let's begin!", Can I also say "Let's get begun!" I somehow feel strange this phrase. My feeling says "Let's get beginning!" is better. I'm not so sure whether my English feeling is correct or not, however when I speak English I don't use "Let's get beginning!"
Second one:
When I was in senior high school, I had a hard time to memorize irregular verbs in English like this way.... go-went-gone...cut-cut-cut...haha....
So my another question is about "get-got-got(gotten)". I still remember that my teacher taught us that "gotten" is also used but it is an old way of saying.
And she taught us that we can say the same thing when we use forget-forgot-forgot(forgotten).
In the case of "get", I see "get-got-got" more often on some websites, however I feel that I see "forgotten" more. It's just my feeling,though.
So can I learn how to use these two verbs from the point of native speakers? Actually I was taught by a Japanese English teacher when I was in high school.
Thank you so much in advance!
Rose @>---->-------- who always finds English questions (^__^;;)
Can I ask you two questions on English grammar?
First one:
When I was reading an English newspaper a little before, I found this unique English.
Let's get started! I can get the meaning of this English in Japanese.
In Japanese, we say like this. 始めましょう！（やってみよう！or 始めよう！） So my question is about the difference between "Let's start!" and "Let's get stared!" Can I also say, "Let's begin?" If I could say "Let's begin!", Can I also say "Let's get begun!" I somehow feel strange this phrase. My feeling says "Let's get beginning!" is better. I'm not so sure whether my English feeling is correct or not, however when I speak English I don't use "Let's get beginning!"
Second one:
When I was in senior high school, I had a hard time to memorize irregular verbs in English like this way.... go-went-gone...cut-cut-cut...haha....
So my another question is about "get-got-got(gotten)". I still remember that my teacher taught us that "gotten" is also used but it is an old way of saying.
And she taught us that we can say the same thing when we use forget-forgot-forgot(forgotten).
In the case of "get", I see "get-got-got" more often on some websites, however I feel that I see "forgotten" more. It's just my feeling,though.
So can I learn how to use these two verbs from the point of native speakers? Actually I was taught by a Japanese English teacher when I was in high school.
Thank you so much in advance!
Rose @>---->-------- who always finds English questions (^__^;;)
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Hello!
I think this is a nice question.
I remember that I was taught the same thing about "gotten".
随分昔の話ですが、、、今これを読んで思い出しました。
You can't say "let's get begun" or "let's get beginning" but why... I don't know. I think it may just be personal preference. We never say it. But when I hear "let's get beginning" it sounds okay to me grammatically, but also sounds strange because no one ever says that.
"Gotten" and "forgotten" are no longer used in English for simple past tense. Now they are only used as past participles (過去分詞). I think that's what they are called, at least?
I forgot my book
I have forgotten my book
But "I forgotten my book" is no longer said in English.
Similarly,
I got my book.
I have gotten my book.
Yet "I gotten my book" is incorrect.
Maybe in earlier English is was used differently, but nowadays it's not the same.
"Let's begin" is like はじめましょう. It sounds more formal than "let's start". So maybe "let's start" is more like はじめよう.
"Let's get started" sounds even less formal. The meaning is also a bit different. It can suggest that some preparations might need to be made. "Let's start/begin" suggests that the preparations have already been made and we are waiting for the instruction. "Let's get started" can suggest that we are not so ready, so maybe it's something like 準備して始めよう.
Past participles are different to past tense. They cannot be used by themselves as the main verb. They can be used either as adjectives or with the auxiliary verb "to have".
correct: I forgot my wallet (past tense) =さいふをわすれた
incorrect: I forgotten my wallet
correct: a forgotten treasure 忘れた宝
incorrect: a forgot treasure
correct: I have forgotten my wallet (present perfect tense) = さいふをわすれた, but perhaps the sense can be a bit more like 財布が忘れてある or 財布を忘れたところだ
incorrect: I have forgot my wallet
I don't remember hearing "I have forgot my wallet". Maybe people use it in some types of poetry, but not in usual speech or writing.
However, "got" and "gotten" are both commonly used as past participles.
I got it (past tense) それを得た
I have gotten it (present perfect) それを得たところだ
a gotten treasure 得たt宝
Now you can say I've got it (present perfect) = I have gotten it.
You can say "I have got it" but I think it is much less common.
However, I don't think you can say "a got treasure", so maybe "got" is not completely interchangeable with "gotten".
Of course, English varies between different countries, and even within countries. The English spoken by Scots, English, Americans, Australians, etc. varies. So you will hear different opinions on some of these matters.
Actually I have a related question about Japanese. Could you explain the difference between...
財布はわすれてある
財布はわすれられた
財布はわすれられている ...?
Here "get" means "to become", and "started" is a past participle used as an adjective.
Has your teacher taught you how to use a verb as an adjective? It's somewhat complex.
>Can I also say, "Let's begin?"
Yes, you can!
If I could say "Let's begin!", Can I also say "Let's get begun!"
No, "begun" is never used as an adjective.
Let's get beginning:
When used in this way "get" means "begin", and you could replace "get" with "begin"
so:
Let's get cooking = Let's begin cooking.
Let's get going = Let's begin going.
but
Let's get beginning = Let's begin beginning. (Never used this way.)
お久しぶり～♪
そうそう、わたしも2番目の件は誰かに聞きたいって思っていたの。
Thanks for sharing about it.
"Let's get started" - Seems like the person saying this is wanting the other person to get things started. Like "Let's get started - you start and I'll join." Whereas "Let's start" seems to show the speaker has more influence in the action.
You can use forgotten still in a number situations, such as
"The forgotten book", "The forgotten item" etc, but is not commonly used :)
Have a good day Rose! :)
Hello tenabooさん＾＿＾
Thank you so much for the comment!
私も先日して頂いた添削を見てまた変な質問をしてしまいました。
Hello bluesylvia ^___^
Thank you so much for the kind explanation.
I was able to understand through your explanation.
We Japanese also distiguish our language whether we've heard it or not.
So your feeling is as same as we do when an expression is correct or not. ^_~
Hello Raichu ^___^
Thank you so much for your explanation.
I was able to understand the difference.
And.. your question is very hard for me though I'm a native speaker.
However, let me try to explain though I'm not sure this is correct or not.
In other words, you asked me a very hard question.
Here we go!
財布はわすれてある> 財布が忘れられたという状態（誰かが財布を見付けた時に言う？）
誰が忘れたかと言うより財布に重点がおかれている。
財布はわすれられた＞財布が過去において忘れられたという動作＞過去の事実でもうその財布の持ち主がいて戻ったかも知れない？
財布が忘れられたという状態とその財布は誰かが忘れたという動作を同時に表す？
財布はわすれられている＞財布が忘れられたという状態で確実に持ち主に戻ってない？
この質問はとても難しいので、私の次の日記の題材で私より日本語に優れている人に聞こうと思います。
以上、答えになっていないかも知れませんが、
Two heads are better than one! ですから他の日本人の方に助けて頂きます。
丁寧な添削ありがとうございます。＾＿＾
こんにちは。＾＿＾ keikoさん
レスが遅くなりすみません。最近超多忙です。＾＾；
そうですか。日本の学校はどこでも同じように教わるのですね。
いつも来て下さってありがとう。＾＿＾
Hello AndrewD ^___^
Long time no see!
Thank you so much for the kind explanation.
I see. I'm very happy to have nice teachers here on Lang-8.
Everyone gave me a lot of nice explanations from the different point of you, which give me nice knowledge of English.
Thank you so much again!
Hello ジャス ＾＿＾
Thank you so much for the nice explanation. ^_^
You are a nice man I have in UK! haha
Please help me again when I have odd English questions.