Dear Mr. Lederer: A U-T article headlined “Transgender woman sues BLM” included the following sentence: ‘Though she had drank two beers, she said she was not intoxicated.” So many people now avoid using the past participle, and I hear things like “I should have went to Wal-Mart yesterday.” However, until we officially abolish past participles, I hold reporters and editors to a higher standard to set a good example for the rest of us to follow.
— Bob Trost, San Diego
Weep weep! Sob sob! Honk honk! We are indeed assaulted every day by erroneous past-tense and past-perfect verbs, especially in informal speaking. The most famous print occurrence of this abusage is the title of the popular Disney film “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989). Shrink is what we word nerds term a strong irregular verb — strong because verbs such as shrink-shrank-shrunk, ring-rang-rung and write-wrote-written form their past and perfect tenses by changing their vowels from the inside; irregular because they form those tenses in various and unpredictable ways.
Because English is becoming more regular, with weak irregular verbs, such as walk-walked-walked and mix-mixed-mixed, have become dominant, English speakers experience increasing trouble with past and present perfect-tenses. Thus, we hear the likes of (gasp!) “My wife drug me to the chick flick,” “I seen that movie four times,” “I should have went to the demolition derby” — and “Honey, I shrunk the language!”
Dear Mr. Lederer: As a youngster, memorization of the state capitals was a standard lesson we were expected to learn. Our teacher explained that in choosing between the use of the words capitol and capital, we should simply remember that state capitol buildings are domes, rounded at the top like O’s. That, she explained, would be our key to remembering which word to use. I note, however, that driving through Sacramento, there are signs for the Capital City Freeway. What are the rules for usage of capitol vs. capital?
— Jim Brown, San Diego
Your teacher was correct, and so are the sign makers. The Capitoline Hill, or Capitol, is the highest of the seven hills of ancient Rome, the historic and religious center of the city. In 509 B.C., the great temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, on its southern summit was dedicated, foremost among the temples and altars of Rome.
Your teacher’s mnemonic device (memory aid) reminds us that capitol is the word for the building in which a state or national legislative assembly convenes. The U.S. Capitol (the building) in Washington, D.C., is always capitalized. The spelling capital designates a town or city that serves as the seat of government. Thus, the signs for the Capital City Freeway that runs through Sacramento are spelled correctly.
Dear Mr. Lederer: When to use finish or done is my question. At one time I was taught that “The cake in the oven is done” and “I am finished with the project.” Would you please clarify this for me.
— Bonnie J. Daigh, San Diego
I suspect that a goodly number of readers of this column were in early life imprinted like ducklings with the old wheeze “Your work can’t be done; it must be finished. That’s because meat is done, not work.” This so-called rule is completely without foundation; I challenge anyone to find it in any reputable grammar book.
Since the 15th century the two verbs have been used pretty much interchangeably. In fact, because Americans often choose the shorter form to express an idea, standard English speakers and writers have put done to work more frequently than finished: “A woman’s work is never done.” “Are you done using this file?”
Whizzing around the Internet is a closely related distinction between the words done and complete: “When you marry the right person, you are complete. When you marry the wrong person, you are finished. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are completely finished!”
Please send your questions and comments about language to richard.lederer@utsandiego.com