I have wondered for many years why it is that we use the past (or maybe it's the subjunctive?) tense in some situations.
Example: you go into a shop, and the assistant asks "what were you looking for?" It's as though you stopped looking for whatever it was as soon as you crossed the threshold (which, in itself, begs the question: why are you here, if you no longer want what you came in for?).
I just wondered.
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Can't say I've ever noticed that, Frances; in German shops, I am quite sure people ask the equivalent of "What are you looking for". But I know a tense-related habit of many, many people, something I personally avoid: When they have been speaking to someone they don't know on the phone (business), at the end of the conversation they ask "What WAS the name again?", as if the person at the other end would change their name as soon as the conversation was over. It is just one of the many thoughtless ways of using language.
ReplyDeleteMeike, I think that use of "was" is part of the same phenomenon. Maybe direct questions - eg "what do you want?" "what's your date of birth?" - are considered too peremptory?
DeleteI always take "what were you looking for" to be "what had you come to the shop specifically for?"
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's just me!
You could be right, Jenny.
DeleteI too can be very pedantic over the use of language , ( not that I am perfect you understand ! ) but hadn't noticed that change of tense particularly. I will now though! Just ordered " Birds and Bees" this morning." Dead Ernest" was superb. I am singing it's praises to all my pals, and will make them all read it.
ReplyDeleteFrances, I love you! (for the last part of your comment!)Please do keep on recommending! and I'm so glad you enjoyed Dead Ernest.
DeleteI've been asked 'what was your date of birth?'
ReplyDeleteYes. It's really odd, Patsy!
DeleteInterestingly I was thinking about tenses this evening when I wrote a comment on someone's blog and mixed my tenses in the same sentence (and duly corrected myself). We in Britain are rather sloppy users of tense. The Italians, mind you, make learning their language slightly easier by generally using the present tense for the future as well as the present.
ReplyDeletePS Why do people say "are't I?" instead of "amn't I?"?
An excellent point, GB. I hadn't thought of that one!
DeleteMaybe its a regional thing because up here in the wilderness of the North East they ten to ask "Can I get you anything?" but I always find that a simple "can I help" says everything it needs to say.
ReplyDeleteObviously those in the North East have more sense!
DeleteYeah, I hear you. I suppose I prefer the standard, "Hi, welcome to Wal-Mart; how may I help you help us support China's economy?
ReplyDeleteSo true, Jeremy. Where I worked, we had to help train the people who were taking our jobs to India :-) Of course, we did it with a British smile on our face and always happy to help a third world country.
DeleteJeremy, that sounds an excellent way to make a hole in Wal-Mart's profits!
DeleteIt's funny, but 'What were you looking for?' somehow seems more polite than 'What are you looking for?' Maybe we just don't like asking direct questions, or I'm getting mixed up with the rather threatening:' Worra YOU looking at?' (Much more polite as: '... and what were you looking at?')
ReplyDeleteYes. I thought of that. But it's still odd, isn't it?
DeletePerhaps what they mean is "What were you scouring the town for , until you finally had the sense to walk into our superior establishment ? "
ReplyDeleteP.S. "Amn't I" is commonly used in Ireland and seems perfectly logical .
Good points. But as someone pointed out, "what WAS your name?" is very strange indeed!
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