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Discussion Groups / English Usage / April 2009This is what it cost me.
I read in a big front page ad of the free newspaper Metro: I chose to smoke. This is what it cost me. I'm puzzled that there is no 's' following 'cost'. I would write it as 'This is what it costs me'. But maybe I have been wrong on this always. Then I wonder if I should also write "This is what she do" instead of 'this is what she does'. Which ones are correct? On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:32:16 -0700, azalea2 wrote: > I read in a big front page ad of the free newspaper Metro: I chose to > smoke. This is what it cost me. > > I'm puzzled that there is no 's' following 'cost'. I would write it as > 'This is what it costs me'. The whole thing is in the past tense. I chose (past tense) to smoke. This is what it cost (past tense) me. Likely to be my present heart attack, stroke or lung cancer or (less likely given that it got into Metro) £2000 a year. OTOH I choose to smoke. This is what its costs me. Likely to be £5 a day. > I read in a big front page ad of the free newspaper Metro: I chose to > smoke. This is what it cost me. This is the past tense (the "imperfect", to be precise) > I'm puzzled that there is no 's' following 'cost'. I would write it > as 'This is what it costs me'. and this would be the present tense. In other words, both are correct but mean different things. > But maybe I have been wrong on this always. Then I wonder if I should > also write "This is what she do" No, this is wrong > instead of 'this is what she does'. and this is right. > Which ones are correct?  SignatureLes (BrE) Les Danks writes: > This is the past tense (the "imperfect", to be precise) No, that would be imprecise. Some *other* languages have tenses called "imperfect" in English, but English doesn't. "Cost" is past tense. The imperfect tense in French, for example, is often best translated into English using the past progressive (also called past continuous), "was costing". SignatureMark Brader, Toronto, msb@vex.net "Omit needless code! Omit needless code! Omit needless code!" -- Chip Salzenberg (after Strunk & White) My text in this article is in the public domain. > Les Danks writes: >> This is the past tense (the "imperfect", to be precise) As Mark says, this is not the imperfect. > No, that would be imprecise. Some *other* languages have tenses called > "imperfect" in English, but English doesn't. Hmmm... > "Cost" is past tense. Indeed. > The imperfect tense in French, for example, is often best translated > into English using the past progressive (also called past continuous), > "was costing". Also called "imperfect". Regards Jonathan azalea2@gmail.com skrev: > I read in a big front page ad of the free newspaper Metro: I chose to > smoke. This is what it cost me. > > I'm puzzled that there is no 's' following 'cost'. I would write it > as 'This is what it costs me'. "Cost" is past tense here. That is why there is no -s. SignatureJens Brix Christiansen > "Cost" is past tense here. That is why there is no -s. As is chose, of course. > > "Cost" is past tense here. That is why there is no -s. > > As is chose, of course. Not that first-person present tense 'chose' would take an -s. Of course. DC -- > > > "Cost" is past tense here. That is why there is no -s. > > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > DC Opps. -- |
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