Text

[Martin Gardner]

Does exactly what it says on the tin.

[Matt Morrison]

I voted "text" merely because that is what I say, "texted" sounds a bit 'orrid.
Hmm I guess on that basis I should change my vote to option 3.

[Dinos Sfyris]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

[Matt Morrison]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

"I hitted the target earlier" surely makes a lot more sense than "I hit the target earlier"

[Charlie Reams]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

"I hitted the target earlier" surely makes a lot more sense than "I hit the target earlier"

Well, it does. Irregular verbs are historical annoyances that make English harder for learners and we should try to avoid introducing new ones.

[JimBentley]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

"I hitted the target earlier" surely makes a lot more sense than "I hit the target earlier"

Well, it does. Irregular verbs are historical annoyances that make English harder for learners and we should try to avoid introducing new ones.

Damnit, I was about to say that, just not quite so eloquently.

[Matt Morrison]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

"I hitted the target earlier" surely makes a lot more sense than "I hit the target earlier"

Well, it does. Irregular verbs are historical annoyances that make English harder for learners and we should try to avoid introducing new ones.

In a roundabout way, that was exactly my point.
I was suggesting that "what makes sense" and "what is right" is not always the same.

To me, "texted" is the same as "hitted" - makes more sense than "text" or "hit" in terms of its construction, but doesn't sound/feel right to say.
Though clearly I'm in a massive minority.

[Gavin Chipper]

I always say "texted" and make a point of taking the piss out of people who say "text" even if I'm in the minority. Bear in mind that quite a few people that say "text" are probably actually saying "texed" given that they say "texes" rather than "texts".

[Jason Larsen]

I voted for either! Either way is acceptable.

[Joseph Bolas]

I'd agree that both TEXT and TEXTED, in the correct context, are acceptable.

[Daniel O'Dowd]

I texted him earlier shurely makes a lot more sense than I text him earlier.

IAWTP. Taken out of context, the former cannot be parsed differently for the majority of logical grammarian minds. The latter however does contain a seed of present habituality. (text him earlier/than...)

[Howard Somerset]

I don't see any question as to which is correct. The past tense must be TEXTED. This is confirmed by OED2r which says that any exceptions to the -ED rule are explicitly stated, and TEXT as a verb does not have any exception listed.

I take issue with earlier remarks about HIT and HITTED. I don't think I've ever seen the word HITTED before reading it in this thread. Indeed, countmax agrees with me about the invalidity of HITTED.

[Gavin Chipper]

I always say "texted" and make a point of taking the piss out of people who say "text" even if I'm in the minority. Bear in mind that quite a few people that say "text" are probably actually saying "texed" given that they say "texes" rather than "texts".

Further to this, I think the people who use "text" as the past tense are the same people who use "come" as the past tense of "come" as in "I come up here the other day". But because it's quite a new word, it never got the chance to get an established form before the inarticulate got hold of it. But inarticulate they are and "texted" it must be.

[Charlie Reams]

I take issue with earlier remarks about HIT and HITTED. I don't think I've ever seen the word HITTED before reading it in this thread. Indeed, countmax agrees with me about the invalidity of HITTED.

No one was saying that HITTED is correct (at least, I hope not.) I was just pointing out that the argument "no HITTED therefore no TEXTED" does not add up, because irregularity is not productive in English, e.g. the past tense of a new verb like PING is PINGED not PANG, regardless of SING/SANG.

[Ian Volante]

It has to be TEXTED. Whenever I've heard anyone saying something that sounded like the pp of TEXT, I assumed in their dialect it was difficult to pronounce the second T, similar to me not being able to say the second T in STATISTICIAN without concentrating.

[Martin Gardner]

I suppose the real question is, if you send a long text message and your phone company sends it as two texts in order to charge you more money, is that two texts or two halves of a text? I'll be quiet now.

[Martin Gardner]

And of course people use came as the past tense of 'cum' as well, because cummed would rhyme with 'comed' which is a grammatical error.

[George Jenkins]

And of course people use came as the past tense of 'cum' as well, because cummed would rhyme with 'comed' which is a grammatical error.

Text is an original work by an Author. texted is "newspeak" like wicked etc. You SEND a text, and it is not possible to "texted it"

[Charlie Reams]

And of course people use came as the past tense of 'cum' as well, because cummed would rhyme with 'comed' which is a grammatical error.

Text is an original work by an Author. texted is "newspeak" like wicked etc. You SEND a text, and it is not possible to "texted it"

Luckily, no one agrees with you or we'd all still be speaking Latin.

[Gavin Chipper]

And of course people use came as the past tense of 'cum' as well, because cummed would rhyme with 'comed' which is a grammatical error.

Text is an original work by an Author. texted is "newspeak" like wicked etc. You SEND a text, and it is not possible to "texted it"

I think you send a text message, not a text!

[Hannah O]

Charlie: What's wrong with Latin?! And despite the irregular verbs, it makes more sense than the English language!

As for the SING/SANG/SUNG thing, is it called an ablaut? I tried to start reading the dictionary a few days ago just to generally help with Countdown ( ) and I think I came across that word and definition.

[Charlie Reams]

Charlie: What's wrong with Latin?! And despite the irregular verbs, it makes more sense than the English language!

Well, Latin was pretty good when people wanted to talk about agriculture and temples all the time, but its not so great for talking about differential calculus or feminism. Language evolves, rapidly in fact, and saying "it is impossible for 'text' to be a verb" is just silly and is really not the kind of linguistic purism which its authors tend to think they're defending.

As for the SING/SANG/SUNG thing, is it called an ablaut? I tried to start reading the dictionary a few days ago just to generally help with Countdown ( ) and I think I came across that word and definition.

Yes I look forward to your forthcoming wisdom on such varied topics as adhocracy, Agamemnon and anchovies.

[Dinos Sfyris]

Agamemnon

Agamemnon is SEXY. It can be split into no less than 3 palindromes.

[Martin Gardner]

A couple of examples, when asking my mum what the past tense of text was she said 'texted' but a couple of days later said 'I text your brother last night'. Dan, a uni friend thought about it for about thirty seconds before saying "the incredibly awkward texted".

[Derek Hazell]

On a similar note, is "broadcast" always the correct past tense of "broadcast"? This site seems to think so because it follows the same pattern as "cast", and the OED is even mentioned.

So is it ever truly acceptable to use "broadcasted"?

[Charlie Reams]

On a similar note, is "broadcast" always the correct past tense of "broadcast"? This site seems to think so because it follows the same pattern as "cast", and the OED is even mentioned.

So is it ever truly acceptable to use "broadcasted"?

IIRC ODE says that either is acceptable.

[Matt Morrison]

There are some fucking NAMES in this thread. And I am still bewildered that you old OLD people think "texted" sounds ok.

[Marc Meakin]

Yes.
Also Skypeted , WhatsApped and DMed

[Gavin Chipper]

There are some fucking NAMES in this thread. And I am still bewildered that you old OLD people think "texted" sounds ok.

I love how you desperately try to cling onto your illogical losing position by chucking out some last-ditch insults.