Welcome vs Welcomed

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Jeremy Chen - 20 Dec 2003 12:22 GMT

Hello,

It's very difficult for me to tell how to choose between "Welcome" and
"Welcomed."

For example:

No matter who you are, you are welcome(d) in this party.

In this meeting, any new idea is welcome(d).

Both usages are found in my dictionaries. Hmm... Are they interchangeable?

Jeremy

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Mike Stevens - 20 Dec 2003 13:09 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Both usages are found in my dictionaries. Hmm... Are they
> interchangeable?

Not quite, but I'm having difficulty expressing the difference.

In your first example, "welcome" sounds right to me and "welcomed"
defitiely odd.

In your second example either form sounds OK to me, but I refer
"welcome" to "welcomed".

The only example I can think of where "welcomed" seems the only
possibility is in sentences like "On arrival they were welcomed by their
host." or "Mr Howard welcomed the Prime Minister's proposal."

It seems to me that (a) if the use is adjectival, the "welcome" is the
appropriate form, and (b) if the sentence is describing an act of
welcoming - in the past tense - then "welcomed" is clearly needed.
But I'm sure that doesn't cover all the possibilities.

--
Mike Stevens, narrowboat Felis Catus II
Web site www.mike-stevens.co.uk
No man is an island. So is Man.

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CyberCypher - 20 Dec 2003 13:42 GMT

"Mike Stevens" <mike.fc2@which.net> wrote on 20 Dec 2003:

>> Hello,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> of welcoming - in the past tense - then "welcomed" is clearly
> needed. But I'm sure that doesn't cover all the possibilities.

There is also the passive sense of "to be welcome", as in "All ideas
are welcomed by the committee", which expresses a habitual state of
open-mindedness. I agree with the rest of what you say here.

Signature

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

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Nick - 20 Dec 2003 19:08 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Jeremy

In my opinion, "Welcome" and "Welcomed", are not interchangeable.

1.In a general sense we use: "Welcome!", or "You are welcome!", which
basically mean: "I welcome you!".
2. "Welcomed" is used in a more specific sense, for instance: "You are
welcomed" ( in my Christmas party etc.), or "Your ideas (regarding this
subject) are welcomed".

Signature

Yours Truly
Nick Beqo
www.nickbeqo.com

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Discussion Groups / British English / December 2003

Welcome vs Welcomed