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Whatchadoin Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Have never gotten

I was born here but I'm Irish just never got the accent.

Shouldn't it be 'I was born here but I'm Irish just have never gotten the accent.'?
  

Top answer

Both the past tense (got) and the present perfect (have gotten or have got) are used with never . In Finnish English a conjunction is needed between the two clauses but I'm Irish and never got / have never gotten: I was born here but I'm Irish and have never got[ten] the accent. I would prefer: I never acquired the accent.

— Cool Breeze

  • Both the past tense (got) and the present perfect (have gotten or have got) are used with never .
  • In Finnish English a conjunction is needed between the two clauses but I'm Irish and never got / have never gotten: I was born here but I'm Irish and have never got[ten] the accent.
  • I would prefer: I never acquired the accent.
  • CB
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3 Answers
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Both the past tense (got) and the present perfect (have gotten or have got) are used with never. In Finnish English a conjunction is needed between the two clauses but I'm Irish and never got / have never gotten: I was born here but I'm Irish and have never got[ten] the accent.

I would prefer: I never acquired the accent.

CB
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Cool Breeze In Finnish English ...
Off-topic, but I do have to question the use of 'Finnish English'. We speak of 'British/Irish.Scottish/American/Indian/etc English' as varieties spoken in countries where (a variety of) English is spoken as a first language by at least some of the people. Where English is learnt by speakers of another language, then we have
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fivejedjonOff-topic, but I do have to question the use of 'Finnish English'.
I have occasionally used the term for over six years, but the idea that someone might think I use it seriously never occurred to me.
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