Got or Gotten?

Question

When you use "get" instead of "be" how would you say this sentence:

"The email may have gotten deleted"
(meaning: It will be maybe deleted)

or is it "The email may have got deleted"?

Is deleted here used as an adjective or is it used as participle verb?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Get is a passive form mostly used in informal contexts. What follows is a past participle that makes a passive verb phrase construct.

Let's get married.
My car got stolen.
I just got carried away.

Anonymous · Answer

Could you explain this a little futher, please? I don't quite understand.

My car has been stolen = My car got stolen = My car was stolen?
ergo: got = has been = was?
or is it: get = be, gotten = been?

How would you say the sentence above in informal and formal context?

This email may have been deleted = This email may have gotten (because 3. form) deleted
or is it:
This email may be deleted = this email may have got deleted?

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousThis email may have been deleted = This email may have gotten (because 3. form) deletedor is it:This email may be deleted = this email may have got deleted?

To me, both are common, with 'got' and 'gotten' alternative past participles.

Oxford (BrE): VERB (gets, getting; past got /gät/; past participle got or gotten /'gätn/)
Merriam-Websters (AmE): get got \'gät\ got or gotten \'gä-t?n\ getting

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousMy car got stolen = My car was stolen?

Yes. They mean the same thing in American English.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhen you use "get" instead of "be" how would you say this sentence:"The email may have gotten deleted"(meaning: It will be maybe deleted)or is it "The email may have got deleted"?

Maybe it will be deleted ~ It may be deleted / It may get deleted

Maybe it was deleted ~ It may have been deleted / It may have got(ten) deleted

AnonymousIs deleted here used as an adjective or is it used as participle verb?

It's a past participle. be deleted is called the passive. get deleted is called the get-passive. The get-passive is used very often, though not exclusively, for negative or unpleasant events. to get broken, to get torn, to get lost, to get damaged, to get stolen, to get hurt, ...

Some books call get a catenative verb that takes the past participle (-en form) as its second verb.

get can also be used with adjectives. Here it also means "become". get warm, get old, get tired, get ready, ...

CJ

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