I had to say forwent

5 replies

TeenageWildlife · 27/04/2011 20:53

Had a very strange moment today. I decided to forgo my turn at something. Later I said "I forwent my turn".........it seemed very strange so I had to look it up when I came home and it is indeed forwent.

I just felt I needed to stick in Pedants' corner.

OP posts:

tribpot · 27/04/2011 20:55

That is very odd. But I can see how it couldn't be anything else. Other than sticking to something that avoids the verb - like "decided to forgo" as you said.

Original poster

TeenageWildlife · 27/04/2011 21:00

Exactly.

I forwent my turn.

I felt most un-pedants-cornerish floundering around unsure of my grammar.

OP posts:

psychoveggie · 28/04/2011 20:20

"Forego" surely? And if you must "forewent". Not "for".

tribpot · 28/04/2011 22:06

A tough one, psychoveggie. This suggests forego means to go before, as opposed to go without ...

VictorianIce · 01/05/2011 16:41

I like it, OP!

'for-' is an Old English prefix to form verbs suggesting:

away, off, apart (forget, forgive)
prohibition (forbid)
abstention or neglect (forgo, forsake)
excess or intensity (forlorn)

as opposed to 'fore-' meaning 'in front of'.

Flip