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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Classroom language
Classroom language
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Minka
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Classroom language
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Hello!
This is from a student �s book:
"Sorry, I �ve forgotten my homework."
Native speakers, do you find this natural?
Thank you.
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28 Aug 2014
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picnicongallifrey
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Yes of course, it �s perfectly natural!
Why wouldn �t it be? How would you say it? :)
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28 Aug 2014
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cunliffe
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Yes, it �s absolutely natural - and very honest! I used to say the dog had eaten mine! |
28 Aug 2014
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ueslteacher
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Maybe, what Minka is wondering about is "to forget" vs "leave behind"... |
28 Aug 2014
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MoodyMoody
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"I �ve forgotten my homework" usually implies that the student forgot to bring the homework to school, but it can also mean that the student forgot to do the homework at all. In this case, either the present perfect or the simple past "I forgot my homework" is acceptable grammar. Acceptable behavior... no! |
28 Aug 2014
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yanogator
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Sophia, if that �s the case, then there is an important difference. I know that many people would say "I forgot my homework at home" (which is wrong) instead of "I left my homework at home". Bruce |
28 Aug 2014
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redcamarocruiser
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I feel like if the context is clear (student forgetting to bring in his homework to school) one could use simple past.
EXAMPLES I would say, "I forgot my homework"with it implied that I left it at home.
I would also say, "I forgot my lunch," if I discovered that I had left it at home.
And "I forgot my keys," if I discovered that I could not get into my locked office at work.
"I forgot my towel." I would say that to the pool attendant when requesting a towel to use.
There is also a saying, "You �d forget your head, if it wasn �t tied on."
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28 Aug 2014
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ronah12
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ahh dont think literally. just the idea from the child �s words.. |
28 Aug 2014
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cunliffe
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I wonder if there is a difference between British English and American? As a stand-alone sentence in a context like this, English definitely prefers present perfect. The past simple comes into play much more when there is a modifier or in answer to a question. English kids are more likely to say, �I �ve forgotten my homework, � which btw implies that they did do it but left it at home, or they world say, �I didn �t do it � or �I forgot to do it.* � Would American kids � more natural utterance be �I forgot it. � I wonder? * simple past here because they are explaining something they forgot previously.
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29 Aug 2014
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