Has anyone addressed this before? The past participle of "swim" is "swum." "Swam" is the simple past. You can say, "I swam three times last week" or "I have swum in that pool many times," but you can never say "I have swam ..." It's simply not correct English.
Sorry to be persnickety, but as a former book editor, it drives me crazy every time I see it, and I see it increasingly more often now that I spend so much time here.:nono:
"The murderer was hanged." Oh, sorry, I guess that one's OK (right?).
Yup. No one said English is logical. The others are all recognized American alternatives to standard British usage and so are perfectly acceptable to use, but it's interesting how they appear out of nowhere, gain currency, and eventually squeeze out their predecessors. Five years ago, American newspapers all reported a defendant "pled" guilty. Nowadays you never see it. Personally, I just can't wrap my tongue around "pleaded."
"The murderer was hanged." Oh, sorry, I guess that one's OK (right?).
Yup. No one said English is logical. The others are all recognized American alternatives to standard British usage and so are perfectly acceptable to use, but it's interesting how they appear out of nowhere, gain currency, and eventually squeeze out their predecessors. Five years ago, American newspapers all reported a defendant "pled" guilty. Nowadays you never see it. Personally, I just can't wrap my tongue around "pleaded."
