Text vs texted

[Inthehatbox]

I am going to be unreasonable and announce that the past tense of “text” is “texted”!

It’s because ‘text’ sounds like ‘texed’ - ie it already sounds like it has an ‘ed’ ending so many people think it strange to add another. I think many people also say ‘tex’ rather than pronouncing the ‘t’, which, in strange way, makes the incorrect grammar work!

I have texted quite a lot today but in my actual text messages I admit to abbreviating and use the term 'msg'd' instead if saying 'I texted sue' etc.

Text is fine

Some words are their own past tense.

"Did you remember to put your coat on?"
"Yes, I put it on."
Not
"Yes, I putted it on."

Language evolves. I use "texted", but I understand why some use "text" as a past tense. I've also noticed the drop-off in past tense usage and wonder if it has anything to do with some people not reading much other than social media and typing words the way the hear them spoken - it's easy to not hear the "...ed" on some words.

I don't really have a value judgement on this.... I like it when people use proper grammar, but I acknowledge that what is deemed to be proper is in constant flux.

I hate both. I still can't bring myself to consider 'text' to be a verb. It's still a noun to me. So:

I sent you a text.
I am sending a text.
I will send a text.

I might get past my mental block in a few decades, by which time people will say, oh yeah, d'you remember texting?!! Ha ha!!

Present tense

I text
You text
He/She texts
We text
You text
They text
How can the past tense be anything but

I texted
You texted
etc etc

It just can't.

Well it can. The past tense of run isn't runned. The past tense of sing isn't singed. Language is complex, and it evolves. If something is used wrongly often enough it becomes right. That's the way it works.

The plural of fish is fish. The plural of deer is deer. The past tense of text could be text. If that's what the people want, that's what it will be.

Language....the ultimate democracy.

But I say texted.

“Tex” here, past, present and future.

‘Phoned
Emailed
Texted
Called
Messaged
What’s Apped
Tweeted
Facebooked?

It so doesn’t sound clumsy compare to “He text me"
Text in that context is hideous.

The past tense of sing isn't singed.

It isn't sing either!

Nonsense. To say ‘I text her yesterday’ is incorrect. Text is the noun. Text is also a verb, but becomes ‘texted’ when used to refer to the action in past tense.

I’ve been a Head of English and an examiner for the best part of twenty years. Most of the time I CBA to argue over grammar etc on here but the claim that ‘there is no such thing as texted’ is too daft for me not to reply.

YANBU!

I hate 'text' too.
It's blooming 'texted'.

But there's also lots of people who think it's correct to say they 'would of' done something!!!
It's 'would have'!!! Grrrr

Can’t believe people say ‘ I text her yesterday’ and think that sounds right. I’m not coming on this or any grammar thread again and I’m annoyed that I replied to this one

The past tense of sing isn't singed.

It isn't sing either!

Now this has got me thinking. Where I live people use the term SMS instead of text. E.g. 'send me an SMS' or 'I'll SMS you '. Now trying to remember if locals say 'I SMSed you'

Texted looks and sounds clunky to me. It’s like a word made up by a toddler to my ears. I tend to say messaged instead. Or Whatsapped. Although Whatsapped is extremely clunky also .

HelmutFrontbut

Where is this strange place where people use more syllables than they need?!

I hate texted. I know it’s correct but it sounds awful. I think it’s because my mum pronounces it as “teksid” and it makes me cringe.

I'm in my 40s and say "texted", as do all my friends. We were the first generation to send texts, so I vote that we get to choose what to call them. 😃 When we all die, you youngsters can say whatever you like.

While we're moaning about per language peeves, why do so many people not know how to punctuate? They either leave punctuation off altogether, and write long, confusing streams of consciousness, or they LEAVE A SPACE BEFORE THE PUNCTUATION MARK. Arghhhhh.

Leaving a space before a punctuation mark should be a prisonable offence.

That is all.

I lump texted in the same category as the word die (i.e more than one dice).

Yes I know that the past tense is technically texted but it just sounds so strange to say "I texted him earlier" I would rather use it as a noun and say "I sent a text to him this morning" than use the past tense of the verb. Just like I would say "can you get me a dice" rather than "can you get me a die".

It might not be grammatically correct but people still understand what you mean.

Surely these days it's whatsapped

Text taxt tuxt

That's what I'm going to use from now on.

@PissoffPeppa

I hate texted. I know it’s correct but it sounds awful. I think it’s because my mum pronounces it as “teksid” and it makes me cringe.

Have you axed her to stop?

YANBU. The past tense of 'to text' is obviously 'texted'.