I was taught wrong / wrongly...

It should be "wrongly," but believe me, 9999 out of 10,000 native speakers of English will very likely say "wrong."

2 Replies

By the way, the past participle of lie is lain.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Thanks, Setanta.

You're right. I once used wrongly, and was told by a native speaker that it should be wrong.

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

Quote:

I once used wrongly, and was told by a native speaker that it should be wrong.

If using "wrong" as an adverb is an error, it is one with a respectable pedigree. Dictionaries have been reporting both wrong and wrongly as legitimate adverbs since Samuel Johnson's first Dictionary of the English Language of 1756...

Quote:

He quoted texts right upon our Saviour, though he expounded them wrong.

http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?page_id=7409&SearchValue=wrong

... and the usage undoubtedly goes much farther back than that. I suspect that the choice between wrong and wrongly is idiosyncratic at many points and involves a lot of overlap. Of course, there are some situations where it would be inappropriate, e.g. before a verb: he wrong/wrongly interpreted my remark as an insult. On the other hand, wrong seems clearly preferable in this case: I don't understand what I had done wrong/wrongly.

0 Replies

Well, you think your way, and i'll think mine. Mr. Johnson's dictionary is not something which i find impressive. To quote Anatole France: Si 50 millions de personnes disent une bêtise, c'est quand même une bêtise.

2 Replies

@Setanta,

Quote:

Mr. Johnson's

Was the slight to the Doctor intentional?

0 Replies

@Setanta,

Quote:

Well, you think your way

Don't get me wrong - I much prefer wrongly over wrong as an adverb, which is as casual and informal as 'good' in I'm gonna **** you up good!

PS Upvoted for the Anatole France quote.

1 Reply

If you want to consider that a slight, help yourself. I do wonder, though, if you refer to the president of the United States as Dr. Barack Obama. I also wonder if you refer to the leading contender for the nomination of the Democratic party as Dr. Hillary Rodham Clinton. But perhaps you subscribe to Emerson's dictum that "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."

For my own part, as the proud son of a democratic republic, whatever faults are alleged against her, i consider that the common titles of respect suffice for all people--Mr., Miss, or Mrs., if the woman in question insists. Your mileage may vary.

1 Reply

@Tes yeux noirs,

Anatole was a pithy writer . . . or is that pissy?

0 Replies

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

It should be "wrongly," but believe me, 9999 out of 10,000 native speakers of English will very likely say "wrong."

Hehe. Middle english went out of style for a reason. It was unweildy, just as latin died for the same reasons. As much as english professors hate it, the "proper english" will also start to sound unweildly. Don't misunderstand me, I have no desire for ebonics. If 99% of english speakers chose "wrong" as correct, sure sounds like the tide is shifting there.

1 Reply

@Lilkanyon,

Ps, I do agree with "wrongly" though.

1 Reply

@Lilkanyon,

Lilkanyon wrote:

Ps, I do agree with "wrongly" though.

Its the same as, "I was treated badly." As compared to, "I was treated bad." It is "proper" english to use, "badly." But I am no longer convinced thats so important anymore, sadly. (For instance, "but" as, I was taught, should never start a sentence, lol, yet i see it in books all the time. )

0 Replies

@Setanta,

Quote:

I do wonder, though, if you refer to the president of the United States as Dr. Barack Obama.

No. There's more to it than that. Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He is also the subject of what some call the most famous single biographical work in the whole of literature, James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. To call him "Mr" Johnson would be like calling the fried chicken guy "Mr" Sanders or the captain of the Pequod "Mr" Ahab. Boswell's Life contains very many witty remarks and pronouncements made by the Doctor, and I am sure he must have said something very much along the lines of the Anatole France quote.

1 Reply

Quote:

You should use "wrong".

Why?

0 Replies

@Tes yeux noirs,

Ah, hallowed custom--Mr. Johnson, your moralist, once sneered about "the drivers of negro slaves" demanding their liberty, in reference to the American revolution. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that, first, the English introduced introduced slavery into the American colonies; second, that slavery was very much at the heart of the English economy in 1775; and finally, that the American colonist were simply demanding the same rights accorded to all the British who had the good fortune to reside in Great Britain, rather than North America. Harlan Sanders was a "colonel" by courtesy. He never exercised military command, having been a teamster in the U.S. Army. The governor of Kentucky made him a colonel to honor his business success. Ahab, was, of course, a fictional character. I believe i have already explained my attitude toward titles of respect.

0 Replies

I have received yet another unsolicited private message from the member calling herself Lilkanyon. This is the text:

Quote:

I didnt know I had to give credentials to have an opinion in forums. I can also point out, you also did not claim to be a "native" english speaker, whatever that means. It hardly excuses you having the authority to tell people who to listen to or not. I do my best to respect the people that post, and I expect the same. Its just too easy to tell people to not listen to someone else. Its childish. I would expect better from someone like you, that I detect is intelligent, but insecure and uncomfortable with confronted with a different opinion. I want and hope to respect you, I hope I wont regret that decision.

This was my response:

Quote:

Your English is poor, as this message shows. A native English speaker is one who has been raised in the English language, as you clearly were not. I exercise no authority, nor ever have claimed to. You bluster about "having an opinion." It is my opinion that your knowledge of English is poor enough that you have no business advising people about the English language. I have the same right to offer that opinion as you do to offer yours. As long as i see you offering bad advice about English, and probably confusing English language learners, i will offer that opinion.

In her other private message to me, she referred to Tes yeux noirs as my "butt buddy," and extremely disobliging epithet, expressing contempt for people on the basis of an unwarranted suggestion that they are homosexuals. I don't need this kind of sh*t, especially from someone setting up for an English language expert while showing skills no better than those displayed in the message quoted above. I will in future post her nasty remarks in whatever thread i happen to be participating in at the time. I don't want private messages from her, and don't intend to let her get away with such nastiness in private while attempting to pass herself off as reasonable and cordial in public--and all the while offering advice about English which she is not qualitied to give.

***************************************

My apologies to Tes yeux--i am not trying to drag him into my troubles. I suggest to him that he give Lilkanyon what she deserves, and ignore her.

0 Replies

I promise you, Setanta, that I am extremely flattered to be considered your 'butt buddy', and will do my best to live up to the great honour this represents.

0 Replies

@Setanta,

I want to agree with You, if I understood your position correctly; "wrongly", as an adverb, is correct; "wrong', as an adjective, should not modify a verb. Maybe, it's easier to realize if you switch to "correctly" and "correct". Example: I was taught correctly(correctly taught, not correct taught ) that the statement was correct(correct statement, not correctly statement). I was in school MANY years ago and we diagrammed sentences, which really made clear these word relationships. I wish that it were done today!

1 Reply

@trover,

Well, we can't hold back the tides of change. I would use wrongly precisely because it is an adverb. As Tes yeux pointed out, one might say: "I was taught wrong," but one would not say: "I was wrong taught." One would say: "I was wrongly taught."

1 Reply

I was taught wrong / wrongly...

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know