You know you have become a third rate Air Force when....
Originally Posted by Courtney Mil
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyler
When, within the next 3 years, over 10% of the remaining RAF will be sat on it's collective arse at High Wycombe.
I totally agree with the point you make, but I hope you meant to type "sitting", not "sat".
Originally Posted by Wyler
When, within the next 3 years, over 10% of the remaining RAF will be sat on it's collective arse at High Wycombe.
I totally agree with the point you make, but I hope you meant to type "sitting", not "sat".
Originally Posted by NRU74
CM
I'm afraid,that in the last thirty years, the past perfect tenses of the verbs to sit, and to stand, have become sat and stood, rather than sitting and standing.
I'm afraid,that in the last thirty years, the past perfect tenses of the verbs to sit, and to stand, have become sat and stood, rather than sitting and standing.
LearnEnglish by the British Council - Future Continuous
Now, if we were to look at the future perfect tense, that would be "the RAF will have sat on its arse..."
Take a D. See me.
Last edited by Easy Street; 25th Apr 2013 at 21:01.
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Past or present tense?
Last edited by NutLoose; 25th Apr 2013 at 22:07.
The progressive form of a verb indicates something that was happening, is happening or will be happening. Used in the past, it suggests an activity that was left unfinished or still happening at the time in question. So 'I polished my shoes' suggests that it's done and over, whereas 'I was polishing my shoes' leads one think that in this context that shoe polishing wasn't finished and the sentence is about to move to something else that happened whilst the polishing was going on.
English active progressive verb forms are constructed with the present participle (-ing ending) and not the past participle (-ed ending). Now, the verb 'to sit' is irregular in that its past participle does not end in -ed, it is 'sat'. In other words, you say 'I sat' rather than 'I sitted'. So we use the present participle 'sitting' to construct a progressive verb - 'I was sitting', not 'I was sat'. Similarly, in the present tense don't say 'I am sat'. In the future don't say 'I'll be sat'.
'I was sat' doesn't even sound right, it's affected and it's wrong. What's even worse is that people that should know better are starting to do it, even people on the BBC. I shall be writing a stiff letter (progressive?).
Things are different if the sentence is passive - i.e. something is having something done to it. 'The driver was parking her car' - active progressive. 'The car was parked on the hill by its driver' - passive, no longer progressive so past participle is OK. To avoid the ugliness of 'was parked', why not say 'had been parked'?
English active progressive verb forms are constructed with the present participle (-ing ending) and not the past participle (-ed ending). Now, the verb 'to sit' is irregular in that its past participle does not end in -ed, it is 'sat'. In other words, you say 'I sat' rather than 'I sitted'. So we use the present participle 'sitting' to construct a progressive verb - 'I was sitting', not 'I was sat'. Similarly, in the present tense don't say 'I am sat'. In the future don't say 'I'll be sat'.
'I was sat' doesn't even sound right, it's affected and it's wrong. What's even worse is that people that should know better are starting to do it, even people on the BBC. I shall be writing a stiff letter (progressive?).
Things are different if the sentence is passive - i.e. something is having something done to it. 'The driver was parking her car' - active progressive. 'The car was parked on the hill by its driver' - passive, no longer progressive so past participle is OK. To avoid the ugliness of 'was parked', why not say 'had been parked'?
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 25th Apr 2013 at 23:21.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
In other words, having sat it will remain satted (sic) never to move again.
Looking at some trouser seats and wooden chairs of times past that will not be all together new.
Interestingly, if we put an H after the S then the I and the A reverse positions in Courtney's masterly exposition above. I haven't tried all permutations though
Looking at some trouser seats and wooden chairs of times past that will not be all together new.
Interestingly, if we put an H after the S then the I and the A reverse positions in Courtney's masterly exposition above. I haven't tried all permutations though
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 26th Apr 2013 at 06:18.
Has ISS it been scapped? I was satting at my computer to work on an assignment when I hear that? Is that the absurd person singular?*
*applogies to Alan Aykborne
*applogies to Alan Aykborne
Surely the apostrophe is a more urgent matter?
Wales
The Waleses
Flt Lt Wales's wife
The Waleses' child
Moby Dick
Wales
The Waleses
Flt Lt Wales's wife
The Waleses' child
Moby Dick
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You know you've become a 3rd rate air force when people obsess about drunken spelling and grammar when the organisation is going to hell in a handcart.
Last edited by Willard Whyte; 26th Apr 2013 at 11:33.
You know you have become a third rate Air Force when....
Once upon a time you used to fly in an aircraft that carried nuclear weapons and you were trained, tested and trusted to carry and drop them in the event of a serious war.
Now, I can't get my new ID card from Handbrake House without handing in my old one because I cannot be trusted to cut the old one up!!!
Once upon a time you used to fly in an aircraft that carried nuclear weapons and you were trained, tested and trusted to carry and drop them in the event of a serious war.
Now, I can't get my new ID card from Handbrake House without handing in my old one because I cannot be trusted to cut the old one up!!!
The last two posts there are spot on. It all suddenly looks a bit sad. Hey, but the guys and galls on the front line are still top notch at their day job.
Party Animal, one of the best points seen here to date.
Party Animal, one of the best points seen here to date.
) of examples of how you have become...etc.