To shout “No! The Queen was not sat alone!”

[Saddlesore]

I have just been reading some of the online coverage of Prince Philip’s funeral, from some pretty blue-chip websites, and some of them say “The Queen was sat alone...” This is like nails down a blackboard for me (along with “I was stood...”). Surely the Queen was sitting, or was seated?
Of course, there’s an outside chance that the writer made a spelling error and meant to say “The Queen was sad...” - but that goes without saying.

[namesnamesnamesnames]

@Skral

‘She was sat alone.’ Implies an action was done to her and that she was put by herself.

‘She was sitting alone.’ Implies that she chose to sit by herself.

The first is slightly more dramatic and sounds sad. It makes a better news story.

This is what I thought. To be honest though, I don't like the way the headline has been written either.

[namesnamesnamesnames]

The Queen sat
The Queen was sitting

I know which sounds much nicer and more correct.

I like The Queen was seated, but that implies she had no choice in the matter.

[Bookworm65]

OP, I totally agree with you. These are my pet hates, along with 'have wrote'.

[Monicuddle]

I agree OP. It’s disappointing to see a mainstream news report use poor grammar. I’ve seen that particular phrase more than once before on the BBC website.

[HarebrightCedarmoon]

I thought the point of the thread was going to be that she had her family around her, and was definitely not alone.

I can't bring myself to be bothered about "was sat", it's regional dialect but a perfectly reasonable and comprehensible sentence.

I just wish most of their presenters would talk properly. Bath does not have a R in the middle.

[skodadoda]

This is about written news pieces about the funeral; it is not disrespectful to those who are mourning.

[Kotatsu]

I don't think it belongs in a newspaper headline, but it brings colour

The Queen sat
The Queen was sat
The Queen was sitting

All have slightly different inferences to me. In particular 'was sat' vs 'was sitting' - one has a dejected, 'this is being done to me, not by me' feeling, whereas the other doesn't. Just as Skral says.

[Kotatsu]

I just wish most of their presenters would talk properly. Bath does not have a R in the middle.

No, but then a lot of English dialects don't really pronounce their 'R's anyway, so you're imagining the 'R' you're hearing. If an Irish person were to say 'bath' (long a) vs 'barth' (with an r) you would actually hear the 'R' in the second one.

[IamMaz]

I'm with you OP.
Very poor grammar. And it grates on me too.

[MarciaDidia]

@somersault

What an untasteful thread.

In the spirit of the thread -

Distasteful or tasteless rather than untasteful.

[drspouse]

I'm going with knob, simply because "nerves of steel and a knob of butter" is a lot funnier.
With regards to the OP, "she was sat" is a perfectly acceptable regionalism. gavel

[UntamedWisteria]

I agree with you OP - very poor grammar & one of my bugbears.

[UntamedWisteria]

Just because it's regional dialect (and what region, I hear uneducated people from across the Uk say it all the time) doe snot mean it's correct and should be allowed.

Would you say: T'Queen were sat alone?

Regional dialect, meaning is clear, but incorrect grammar.

[UntamedWisteria]

Ha, unfortunate typo in my post there. Does not.

[UntamedWisteria]

A full stop should go before the closing speech marks.

Unless you are in the USA, when it goes after.

[Shehasadiamondinthesky]

I too am a proud pedant. I hate it. Everytime I see we was on here instead of we were arghhhh.

[WarOnWomen]

@Imreaaaaady ouch!

[Piapea]

I'm not british but I live here. The phrases 'was sat' and 'was stood' have been like nails on a blackboard for me since I moved here. I don't think it's regional, I lived in London for a few years now the south west. I have a lot of welsh and scottish friends. They all say it. One person even tried to correct my 'I was standing'.

[WarOnWomen]

@UntamedWisteria

A full stop should go before the closing speech marks.

Unless you are in the USA, when it goes after.

No, punctuation marks go inside the speech marks in American text.

[Purplewithred]

I’m with you, but this post needed to be in Our Special Corner.

[FontyMcFontface]

Looks like Collins dictionary recognises both knob and nob as legitimate insults.

I’m sticking with nob. Knob to me looks like a mistake.

I generally think that correcting someone’s spelling or grammar makes the corrector sound really pathetic and rude. The correction is much worse than the mistake. I also find that the self appointed grammar police often make mistakes themselves.

[UntamedWisteria]

Really? I am sure I was taught that it was the other way around when I did my Masters degree in journalism in the USA? But I am prepared to accept I am wrong!

[UntamedWisteria]

I withdraw my comment, having checked a couple of US newspaper websites, thanks for pointing out my mistake WaronWomen.

[peak2021]

The sentiment of this thread in using the English language correctly I agree with.

[Hesontrial]

This is my plaid of choice

heritageofscotland.com/products/edinburgh-lambswool-long-tartan-cape-anderson?variant=38191978315943&currency=GBP&gclid=Cj0KCQjwse-DBhC7ARIsAI8YcWLq4vCF7C4sH8KmS6QOB88gtZOGSSKQIALm2k_ELkLokR34J5OyXNkaAs6yEALw_wcB