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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Past continuous disappearing?
In my circle of English friends, I have heard constant use of sententies like: I was sat in the bar, we would be sat having this conversation, He was sat in his room....What's happenings here? Is this suddenly standaard use? It's my friends, it's Eastenders....and so Much more complex to exlplain to a student!
Top answer
It's not standard English (standard would be "I was sitting") but it is a common dialect or colloquial form in the UK. I think I might occasionally use it myself. "I was stood" is similar.
- It's not standard English (standard would be "I was sitting") but it is a common dialect or colloquial form in the UK.
- I think I might occasionally use it myself.
- "I was stood" is similar.
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4 Answers
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It's not standard English (standard would be "I was sitting") but it is a common dialect or colloquial form in the UK. I think I might occasionally use it myself. "I was stood" is similar.
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GPY"I was stood" is similar.I've even heard "I was stood standing", but that was on a British sitcom, so it might have been said just for comic effect.
CJ
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This is a non-standard form of English. It is sometimes called Multicultural (Inner)-London English and has influences from the Caribbean as well as traces from historical Cockney. It is sometimes referred to as a sociolect rather than a dialect, because it is generally used within a particular social group or socioeconomic class.
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KJinCali79 It is sometimes called Multicultural (Inner)-London English and has influences from the Caribbean as well as traces from historical Cockney.Are you quite certain about that? As far as I am aware this is a dialect form used in various regions of England and has nothing specifically to do with London or multi-culturalism.
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