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#82804 10/04/02 10:53 AM
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What's the correct usage of the word 'smell' in past tense
smelt or smelled


#82805 10/04/02 10:58 AM
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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!


#82806 10/04/02 11:50 AM
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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?


#82807 10/04/02 12:00 PM
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something of a colloquialism

Well, the dictionaries don't indicate it as colloquial. I'm just reporting what I saw.


#82808 10/04/02 12:42 PM
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I believe you, Bean! I'm just reporting how I think of it!


#82809 10/04/02 02:23 PM
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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.


#82810 10/04/02 02:42 PM
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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


#82811 10/04/02 02:43 PM
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and kneeled/knelt.


#82812 10/04/02 04:20 PM
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Think I would say:

He smelt of sweat.

I smelled home cooking as I came through the front door.


#82813 10/07/02 01:13 PM
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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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