Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[syoshioka99]

1) It had gotten completely dark by the time we reached the foot of the mountain.

2) It had completely gotten dark by the time we reached the foot of the mountain.

3) It had gotten dark completely by the time we reached the foot of the mountain.

Which is correct? I think all of the above are.

Satoru

Tochigi, Japan

[Anuradha Chepur]

Yes, but 1 and 3 sound more natural.

[Mister Micawber]

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Yes, I suppose they all are. #1 is certainly the most common choice for me, however: the key idea is complete darkness rather than get completely, in spite of the fact that grammatically the adverb modifies the whole predicate.
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"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
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Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[allyoop]

I'd say the first and third, but I must inform you that "gotten" isn't a word. Its slang and not considered proper English.
)
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~allyooooooop~

[Mister Micawber]

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'The past participle of get is either got or gotten. In BrE, got has come to predominate, while in North America gotten predominates in some constructions and got in others. In AmE have gotten means that something has been obtained, while have got denotes simple possession' (fide M-W Dict of Am Usage):

I've got a cold (= I have) vs I've gotten a cold (= I've caught).

You will find both forms in most reputable DICTIONARIES
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_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's