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Joined: Oct 2002
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1 |
What's the correct usage of the word 'smell' in past tense
smelt or smelled
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I would personally say "smelled". However, there are plenty of words where both the -t and -ed endings are acceptable and the usage depends on where you are from (or where you learned English). Online dictionaries indicate both forms. So take your pick! 
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771 |
See, I think of the usage of smelt as past tense for smell to be something of a colloquialism. Considering that smelt is already a noun and an infinitive in its own right, why confuse things?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
something of a colloquialismWell, the dictionaries don't indicate it as colloquial. I'm just reporting what I saw.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771 |
I believe you, Bean! I'm just reporting how I think of it! 
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Posts: 320
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 320 |
I believe it's a UK/US thing. The -ed form tends to be American, while -t is British. This applies to other words: spell/spelled/spelt and learn/learned/learnt come to mind.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I'm just reporting how I think of it! I suppose (retrospectively) the smiley should have been a hint that it was just opinion and not judg(e)ment. Point taken, and back atcha
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Joined: Jan 2001
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Think I would say:
He smelt of sweat.
I smelled home cooking as I came through the front door.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
I'd agree with it being generally a transpondial thing, Britlish speakers tending toward the "-t" endings.
"He smelt a rat"
but somehow: "She smelled of mothballs"
I suspect there aren't any hard rules here - it's more or less about habit and how nice the word sounds.
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