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I saw/ I have seen

7 replies

MatthewHBpig · 02/05/2021 17:25

Thread after thread has this error in it or at least I think- happy to be corrected.
You'd say:

"I have seen my gran in hospital"
Or
"I saw my gran in hospital"
Or
"Bob was seen going to the hospital"

Not

"I seen my gran in hospital"
Or
"I seen my mum at Easter"
Or
"I seen that film"

I see
I saw
I am going to see / I will see
Bob was seen going to the hospital

Not I seen....?

What's this about ? Bad English or is it colloquial?

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dementedpixie · 02/05/2021 19:56

I think its quite common in Scotland to say 'I seen'

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MatthewHBpig · 02/05/2021 22:07

Maybe that explains the prevalence on here.

It grinds my inner pedant but accept its normal regionally.

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Horehound · 02/05/2021 22:09

@dementedpixie

I think its quite common in Scotland to say 'I seen'

I'd say I've heard it more by English people.

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Undersnatch · 02/05/2021 22:20

I seen is common here in Scotland but it still annoys me! Even my daughters class teacher says it!!

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Fifthtimelucky · 04/05/2021 11:17

Wrong, obviously, but nothing new. I remember people saying it at primary school in the 1960s (West Country).

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MatthewHBpig · 05/05/2021 09:16

I fit it into the same category of ignorance as people who say

I brought some cake at the shop

Please get me an eXXpressso

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Fifthtimelucky · 05/05/2021 15:33

People were saying 'I brought' in the 1960s too.

'Expresso' is completely different and is nothing to do with misunderstanding. People are just mishearing, and making an Italian word sound more English.