Have you ever wondered about the difference between ‘got’ and ‘gotten’? This can seem confusing if you’re from the UK, since we do not typically use ‘gotten’ in British English. However, this term is common in North America, so it is helpful to know what it means. Check out our guide below to find out how to avoid errors when using the word ‘gotten’.
The present tense verb ‘get’ has several meanings, including:
The simple past tense of this verb is always ‘got’, regardless of the context:
We got a great reception from the crowd.
I got the newspaper this morning.
He got fat when he ate all the cake.
This applies in all English dialects. So, if you are using the simple present or past tense in your writing, the only terms you will need are ‘get’ and ‘got’.
We use past participles to form the present and past perfect tenses, which both show that an action has been completed. This verb form will follow ‘have’, ‘has’ or ‘had’ in a sentence. But the correct past participle form for ‘get’ depends on the dialect you’re using.
In British English, the past participle form of ‘get’ is always ‘got’:
She had got better in the last year.
I have got enough time for a cup of tea.
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As such, if you’re writing for a UK audience, you will not need the word ‘gotten’. The only time it’s used in British English, in fact, is in old-fashioned terms like ‘ill-gotten’.
American English uses both ‘got’ and ‘gotten’ as past participles:
So if we were writing for a US audience, we would rewrite the examples above as follows:
She had gotten better in the last year.
The difference is that ‘getting better’ is a process, so we use the past participle ‘gotten’. Having enough time for a cup of tea is a state, meanwhile, so we use ‘got’ in that sentence.
In British English, ‘gotten’ is extremely rare (especially in formal writing). As such, you should always use ‘got’ instead of ‘gotten’ when you’re writing for a British audience. However, ‘gotten’ is common in North America. And if you’re using this term, remember the following:
As such, you should only use ‘gotten’ as the past participle of ‘get’ if:
If these conditions don’t apply, you will need ‘got’ instead! And if you want to be certain your writing is the best it can be, don’t forget to have it proofread.
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