Must have forgotten his camera

Question

"He must have forgotten his camera at home."

Is the above sentence acceptable?

I thought the above usage of "forgotten" was unnatural.

I think it should be "He must have left his camera at home." or "He must have forgotten about his camera and he left it at home."

However, I am not a native speaker of English, and I look forward to native speakers' advice.

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

You are correct. You cannot forget something at home. (That would suggest that there is an object in your house but you do not remember it any more).

CalifJim · Answer

Snappy"He must have forgotten his camera at home."
Is the above sentence acceptable?

It is accepted by many, but many others point out its flaws. You'll be understood if you use it in a conversation, but see below.

SnappyI think it should be "He must have left his camera at home." or "He must have forgotten about his camera and he left it at home."

These are usually advised. Yes. They are much more acceptable than the first one you mentioned.

CJ

Top answer