Have bit - what's that?

Tamara · Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:24 am *Have bit - what's that?*

Hi

If <…> the snake would have bit me.
He should have bit his tongue off! (J)

Bite, bit, bitten/ bit

Have bit – what’s that? Smile

and when the form is appropriate to be used?
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

Conchita · Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:31 am *Bitten or bit*

Have bit is the present perfect of 'bite'. The past participle can be 'bitten' or 'bit'.

Tamara · Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:43 am *Bitten or bit*

Alan · Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:44 am *Bit*

Hi Tamara,

To me 'bit' is the past form of 'bite' and not the past participle. I can only assume that 'have bit' has come about by association with verbs like cut, put. let.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Guy Fawkes Night for You

Tamara · Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:46 am *Bit*

Conchita · Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:00 am *Bit*

Yankee · Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:36 am *Have bit*

Hi Tamara

Bitten is the standard past participle on the other side of the pond, too. Wink

If someone said "have/has bit", then I'd expect the usage to be colloquial. (Or possibly some sort of reference to bits and bytes. Laughing

)

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

Tamara · Mon Oct 02, 2006 15:42 pm *Have bit*

	ESL Forums \| English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms	All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Page 1 of 1