If my card got stolen...

} What's the right way to say this and why:
}
} If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card } company.
}
} If my credit card gets stolen, I need to notify my card } company.
Is this for school? If so, I'd guess you are supposed to pick one or the other, so my answer won't help. They are both correct, but mean slightly different things. For one your purse may happen t

holly (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003:
[nq:1]What's the right way to say this and why: If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card company.[/nq]
I would need to notify
[nq:1]If my credit card gets stolen, I need to notify my card company.[/nq]
With the change I suggest for the first sentence, it is now one right way of saying it, and the second sentence is another r

R J Valentine (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003:
[nq:1]} What's the right way to say this and why: } } If my credit card got stolen, I need ... I'd guess you are supposed to pick one or the other, so my answer won't help. They are both correct,[/nq]
You seem to have had a mirage, or maybe your delusionating, or, hark!, is that an haloosinashun ive just red?

} R J Valentine (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003: }
}>
}> } What's the right way to say this and why:
}> }
}> } If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card }> } company.
}> }
}> } If my credit card gets stolen, I need to notify my card }> } company.
}>
}> Is this for school? If so, I'd guess you are supposed to pick one }

Here's where the original sentence would be correct as is.

Policeman on the phone: Sir, we have found your wallet. Man: Is there a credit card in it?
P: Why do you ask?
M: If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card company.
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

R J Valentine (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003:
[nq:1]}> }> } What's the right way to say this and why: }> } }> } If my credit card ... for the other it's the minimum policy. Is that it? Or are you going to support your devastatingly clever remark?[/nq]
You're an English teacher. Do I really have to tell you why the first sentence is wrong? If you teach kids that that sort

"Skitt" (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003:
[nq:1]Here's where the original sentence would be correct as is. Policeman on the phone: Sir, we have found your wallet. ... it? P: Why do you ask? M: If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card company.[/nq]
To make it decent American English, it would have to be "If my credit card was* stolen", otherwise that should be "If my cr

[nq:2]Here's where the original sentence would be correct as is. ... card got stolen, I need to notify my card company.[/nq]
[nq:1]To make it decent American English, it would have to be "If my credit card was stolen", otherwise that should ... for American-speakers to grok that, but I'll wager that most educated native British-speakers use the present perfect in this situation.[/nq]

} R J Valentine (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003: }
}> On 10 Nov 2003 06:41:41 GMT CyberCypher

}>
}> } R J Valentine (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003: }> }
}>
}> }> } What's the right way to say this and why:
}> }> }
}> }> } If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card }> }> } company.
}> }> }
}

"Alan Jones" (Email Removed) wrote on 10 Nov 2003:
[nq:1]Yes, BrE would have the present perfect in the 'policeman' example.[/nq]
Thank you for that. I'm glad to see that I've got at least one thing right about BrE.
[nq:1]"If my credit card got stolen, I need to notify my card company" could be (standard for informal BrE) "If my credit card got stolen, I'd need to notify my card compan