"...The use of the past participle stood with the verb "to be" as in we were stood in a line for hours, is not acceptable in standard English. The present participle standing should be used instead..."
Quote by dpw
Which is correct, or are they both?
Please take into account the uses in both the the imperfect or continuous past, and the past historic or passive.
I think both are correct, depending on the use.
I'm interested in the views around the world.
Quote by Raven_Star
If you're talking about someone being placed somewhere by someone else, then you say:
"He was stood by the usher in the appropriate area to await processing."
If no one placed him there and it's happening in the present, then you say:
"He was standing in the appropriate area awaiting processing."
If no one placed him there and it happened in the past, you say:
"He stood in the appropriate area and awaited processing."
You can only "be stood" by someone else. A beer can be stood. A plant can be stood. A person can be stood, by someone else.
I'll grant you, the use of "was stood" in the manner in which you indicate is a regionalism, a.k.a. slang, in the UK. Since we like for our stories here to be as universally appealing as possible, we don't often allow slang regardless of where it comes from. The one caveat is if a speaker in the story is speaking in slang. Say he or she was telling a story and the author wanted to imply a specific locational accent or colloquialism. That's when often the slang is allowed.
"Picture this, lads. I was stood at this tiny, crowded pub, waiting for the barkeep to pull me a pint, when this gorgeous Geordie walks by..."
That's my best shot at British colloquialism. No, it's terrible, I know. You get the picture, though.
Quote by Lupus
*pats Raven_Star's back for trying, shaking head*
Quote by Raven_Star
Oh, go get stuffed, ya wanker.
Quote by vines
She just stood there and looked at it. Her lips water at the sight of this plump and tasty looking thing. Her eyes widens in anticipation. The weird feeling in her stomach reminds her why she is here. She's had this feeling before,many times, but never like this. I mean it's just so big; she can't help but want it, so she grabs it and puts it in her mouth. The flavor runs down her throat and she can't help but think: man, that's one tasty drum-stick.
--
See how I used the word stood? Just comes down to how you use it.
Quote by vines
Yeah I know. Its called transion. I do it so well. Not something easily done. Normally I would have written as such:
She just stood there and looked at it; her lips water at the sight of this plump and tasty looking thing, her eyes widens in anticipation."
It is a technique I made up. I called it the transitional sentence. But people don't like it when I use ";" on this site.
So what you are telling me is either way I am going to get criticized so I might as well use the ;
