Quote:
Originally Posted by dogsbody70
Just to say that I was in a hurry when I wrote a reply so was not very thorough. I rushed my reply.
columbine wrote:
Bill had rushed into the office at the last minute, the vital evidence clasped in his hand only to find that Detective Smith wasn't there. "He already went home?" he cried, to the empty office. (Correct)
Would you really say that? Is this An Americanism? ( Has he already gone home?) surely is more natural. Or (has he left already?)
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My point was that 'already went' is -spoken- English, which by dint is more casual and more flexible in the rules, just like technically in written English it should always be 'cannot' not 'can't'. It's perhaps used more in American English than British English, but this doesn't make it grammatically incorrect.
Also I, amongst what I'm sure are plenty of younger people, use both.
