milky  +  300383 Mon, 04 Dec 06 11:07 AM Many American English speakers would say that "might could" is incorrect usage. I, a British English speaker, would say that the American English use of "Did you see the new Clooney film" (when it's still in theatres) is incorrect. So, which of us is right? Are both "might could" and that AE use of the past simple, where BE speakers would use the present perfect, incorrect? milky Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004 Senior Member 3,149 Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought". American English, British English, Present Perfect, Past Simple

	MrPedantic  +  300624 Tue, 05 Dec 06 12:41 AM  Milky wrote: I, a British English speaker, would say that the American English use of "Did you see the new Clooney film" (when it's still in theatres) is incorrect. "Where did you go last night?" "To the Odeon in Leicester Square." "Did you see the new James Bond film?" "No, we saw Children of Men." Sounds pretty normal BrE to me. MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... American English, British English

	milky  +  300626 Tue, 05 Dec 06 12:44 AM MR P should try replacing that past simple question with one using the present perfect. Then, he might catch up with what is being discussed here. milky Present Perfect, Past Simple

	MrPedantic  +  300630 Tue, 05 Dec 06 01:05 AM  Milky wrote: <"Where did you go last night?" "To the Odeon in Leicester Square." "Did you see the new James Bond film?" "No, we saw Children of Men." Sounds pretty normal BrE to me> MR P should try replacing that past simple question with one using the present simple. Then, he might catch up with what is being discussed here. You mean: "See you the new James Bond film"?   MrP MrPedantic Present Simple, Past Simple

	MrPedantic  +  300633 Tue, 05 Dec 06 01:13 AM  Milky wrote: <"Where did you go last night?" "To the Odeon in Leicester Square." "Did you see the new James Bond film?" "No, we saw Children of Men." Sounds pretty normal BrE to me> MR P should try replacing that past simple question with one using the present perfect. Then, he might catch up with what is being discussed here. Ah! Now you've changed your original previous post. Naughty naughty, Milky. MrP MrPedantic Present Perfect, Past Simple

	Forbes  +  300651 Tue, 05 Dec 06 02:04 AM Milky is clearly an academic since: 1. He asks interesting questions, but never answers them, except that... 2. He answers questions with another question. 3. You think you are getting somewhere, but he moves the goalposts. 4. He is always quoting other people. 5. He argues with people who want to agree with him. 6. In short, he treats us all like students who need to be taught how to think. Forbes Joined on Thu, Jun 16 2005 Regular Member 895 Quoting