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asylum seeker
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Location: On your computer screen.
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 Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:18 am Post subject: 'I got my bag brought' |
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So I was helping a Korean co-teacher with some homework checking today and she came up with this grammar question I couldn't answer properly.
She asked her students to make example sentences using the construction 'to get something done' as in 'I got the homework done' or 'I got the copies made'.
One of her student's came up with an example 'I got my bag brought'. This sounds wrong but I couldn't explain why exactly in grammatical terms. Can anyone provide an explanation? |
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Khenan
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:12 am Post subject: |
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| This is kind of a tough one, and I can't help you with specific grammar terms, but after thinking about it, "I got [something done]" is used when you actually do the doing. Therefore: "I got my homework done," "I got a new dog," or "I got my bag" are all fine, but "I got my bag brought" assumes (to me) that someone else is doing the bringing. Therefore: "I had my bag brought (to me)" is more correct. |
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makemehavefun
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:31 am Post subject: |
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I'd think you would use 'had' rather than 'got' with 'brought'.
I had my bag brought...
This makes me think of the phrase, "I got to go", when people really mean to say "I've got to go". If you've ever thought about it, "I've got to go", sounds redundant... have+got.
Well, that's my stab at it. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| I got my bag brought by my mommy, she was hard to convince. |
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KimchiExplosion
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
Location: Nowhere near Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like ebonics |
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Epicurus
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| KimchiExplosion wrote: |
| Sounds like ebonics |
yup. That's precisely how I would describe it.
I had my bag brought is the correct answer. |
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asylum seeker
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Location: On your computer screen.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Khenan wrote: |
| This is kind of a tough one, and I can't help you with specific grammar terms, but after thinking about it, "I got [something done]" is used when you actually do the doing. Therefore: "I got my homework done," "I got a new dog," or "I got my bag" are all fine, but "I got my bag brought" assumes (to me) that someone else is doing the bringing. Therefore: "I had my bag brought (to me)" is more correct. |
I think that's the best explanation, thanks. |
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Easter Clark
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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Passive Causative: To have/get something done (by someone else)
I get/have my hair cut at the barber shop.
I will get/have copies made at Kinko's.
I got/had my oil changed yesterday.
more:
http://www.headsupenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=270&Itemid=94
The example is fine, provided the student got her mom / someone else to bring her bag to school. It sounds strange because we would usually use the active voice (My mom brought (me) my bag). |
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Epicurus
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:53 am Post subject: |
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with all due respect EC, using the "passive causative" in past tense is a huge NO NO in any academic setting or educated/ intelligent company.
try using it even on a high school paper and when your teacher reams you out for it, show him/her that you were "merely" using the past passive causative 
e.g. I tried using the past passive causative in intelligent company and GOT reamed out for it.
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:38 am Post subject: |
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| Epicurus wrote: |
with all due respect EC, using the "passive causative" in past tense is a huge NO NO in any academic setting or educated/ intelligent company.
try using it even on a high school paper and when your teacher reams you out for it, show him/her that you were "merely" using the past passive causative
e.g. I tried using the past passive causative in intelligent company and GOT reamed out for it.
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...ahh...the endless prescriptivist vs descriptivist debate.
Good to see active grammar minds at work.  |
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