When did "I seen" become acceptable?!?!? VENT!!!!

[Teresa Pitman]

My theory is that these mistakes are made by people who don't read much (so they don't see the words written) and either have some hearing difficulties or don't listen well.

They may have heard someone say "He's seen" and thought it was "He seen" and then when they heard "I've seen" it sounds pretty close to "I seen."

By the same token, "would've" sounds close to "would of."

Two other examples that I notice: "that peaked my interest" (for "piqued my interest") and various spellings of "wal-lah" or "vwah-lah" (for voila).

Teresa

 

[RadioNate]

I thought it was just a sout'side o' Chicago thing. "I seen dat de udder day!" I believed the SNL Superfans were an exaggeration until I met some of my in-laws. Fortunately my husband doesn't use "seen" for saw, but he does have a couple of other dialect issues that are far less annoying.

HEY! As a born and raised southsider I have never used "seen" for "saw."

Now, dangling prepositions.....

 

[monkey68]

I agree. Another thing that drives me crazy is when people say, "I axed" (I asked). When did the word ask become ax?

When I learned to talk, it became I "axed" you a question Lol, I say it all the time, I don't even realize that I do it. My sister the speech therapist tried making me say it properly, and I just can't do it. I have no clue why, I just can't say it properly. Just like the word philosophy, I always mess up when I say that word.

As for "I seen", it doesn't quite bother me as much, maybe because I live in a largely immigrant area, so the fact that they're actually speaking English is already a good start Although where I live, you're probably better off if you don't know English, since few people actually speak it.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I had an English teacher that would write "would of" and "could of". I know a couple people who write it out that way, too---I always thought it was suppose to be the way you mentioned above. Are both acceptable?

No, no, no, no, NO, nononono. It is not correct. Ever. If you look up the definitions of those words, you will see just why the two words will make the sentence illogical.

Would HAVE. Could HAVE.

Your teacher was a maroon or a moron, depending on how well she spelled.

 

[manning]

Definately drives me crazy...... or is that definitely

 

[Cool-Beans]

My theory is that these mistakes are made by people who don't read much (so they don't see the words written) and either have some hearing difficulties or don't listen well.

They may have heard someone say "He's seen" and thought it was "He seen" and then when they heard "I've seen" it sounds pretty close to "I seen."

By the same token, "would've" sounds close to "would of."

Two other examples that I notice: "that peaked my interest" (for "piqued my interest") and various spellings of "wal-lah" or "vwah-lah" (for voila).

Teresa

I believe the word for people who don't know how to use language because they weren't taught (or didn't learn) and don't read is "illiterate." A valid excuse, but not one I'd be proud to announce.

 

[bgirldeb]

FTR, you are not allowed to "axe" me. You can ASK me, but you can not AXE me.

LOL. I had a teacher one time reply to someone who asked her if they could 'axe' her a question with "wouldn't that get a little bloody?"

 

[dmlashultz]

LOL. I had a teacher one time reply to someone who asked her if they could 'axe' her a question with "wouldn't that get a little bloody?"

Axe for ask always makes me laugh too!

What about all the incorrect/funny things your kids say that become so endearing?

Like the one time my DD had to find pictures of word with the "B" sound, and I sadly had to let her know that the thing she carried her books in was a "back pack", not a "pack-pack".

I notice my older daughter (11) continually uses wrong prepositions. (She learned to speak late, and was adopted at age 2, which I'm sure contributes to the problem). I'm always correcting her. I was trying to think how I learned them, I realized most people just pick up correct usage.

 

[JessicaR]

'Anyways' does me in and its been showing up everywhere! Has it become acceptable?

My husband is guilty of saying, "I seen" but quickly corrects himself when he sees the look on my face. I do ignore and overlook grammer and spelling when I'm on message boards. If I didn't I would be a hypocrite.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I hate hearing "I seen" as much as I hate hearing "she goes" or "he goes" in place of "she said" or "he said"

Sometimes I intentionally ask people "Where did they go?"

How do you feel about, "So, like, he goes, you know, 'I seen this...'"?

 

[MariDisney]

I don't say "would of" or "could of", but I do say would have or would've which could sound similar.

Yes! Would have and could have are grammatcally correct and perfectly acceptable, of course.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But what drives me bonkers is the attachment of superfluous prepositions to the ends of sentences.

Where is it AT?

Where are you going TO?

Then you must abhor the classic preposition-laden sentence, "What did you bring that book I didn't want to be read to out of up for?" (prepositions highlighted in various colors)

Using "er" on words that were never supposed to. Stupider is a word I hear a lot.
No... it's more or most stupid.

Stupider is a valid word, as is stupidest.

 

[MariDisney]

I had an English teacher that would write "would of" and "could of". I know a couple people who write it out that way, too---I always thought it was suppose to be the way you mentioned above. Are both acceptable? I also had a teacher who would spell the word "learnt". I did some research and found out it is acceptable, and used in Europe, where she is from.

No, both wouldn't be acceptable. People write/say "would of" when they mean to contract would have into would've. Spoken, they would sound very close, depending on dialect. But written, it's always incorrect.

 

[katiebelle21]

What about "them" used as an adjective? Such as, "Do you have them cookies?" That drives me nuts.

 

[SandrA9810]

When did stupider ever become a word?? I'm only 25 and I've never heard it to be correct grammar.

Made up words is funny when you're talking to friends and joking about it. Like trying to descibe something that just happened, but when some one writes a made up word on a post it note, trying to be mad at you and in return make you mad. It just fueled the fire of making fun of her and making me laugh.

 

[Abbigator]

How about, "I says" instead of "I said" ? That one really bugs me and I have two friends who are well educated in two different parts of the country that use that frequently in conversation. My sister in law from Michigan says, "I seen" all the time but my husband doesn't. He would probably write would of or could of though instead of would've or could've, although he reads constantly. Odd.

 

[dismom2]

No, both wouldn't be acceptable. People write/say "would of" when they mean to contract would have into would've. Spoken, they would sound very close, depending on dialect. But written, it's always incorrect.

Both of these people I mentioned are college professors. One teaches English! Why on earth would she spell incorrectly if we are suppose to learn from her??? I kept thinking it was wrong every time I would see it, but I didn't want to question a specialist in the field. That's just sad...

 

[RNMOM]

I think people speak the way they are spoken to. It is a familial/societal thing. I never speak this way but my family back home does. It drives me nuts also. It is all I can do not to correct my older sister but I know that would destroy a small part of our great relationship and I am not going to do that.

I find it annoying when people choose to speak poorly. It reflects on their education choices such as not paying attention even to the basics of proper speech. I resent having to try to figure out what they are trying to say when they can' t use proper English but I keep my mouth shut and my fingers still on the matter.

 

[IDoDis]

"I seen" seems to be a regional thing -- maybe more southern?? I rarely hear it in the southwest and when I do, the person usually has a southern accent.

The one that gets me is when people say "sol" for "saw" so instead of "I saw" they say "I sol" instead. I have students say it and write it this way.

My other one with my students is "valentine" not "valentime." I have the kids say it correctly 5 times for each time they say it wrong. They don't get upset -- we make it a fun game, kind of like a tongue twister challenge.

 

[Swimnoid]

Definately drives me crazy...... or is that definitley

or maybe definitely....


I have friends who home school who make all of the above mistakes and another that drives me crazy when they do it but I can't think of what it is at the moment. When they do it I feel like throttling them. How are their kids supposed to learn to speak correctly this way?