DIVED or DOVE? Lets decide once and for all ...

[Bob DBF]

Dived, aluminium, colour etc etc.
I was taught this way.

Well then, I'll use the submerged and surfaced of my youth in the Submarine Force, the way I was taught.


Bob
---------------------------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[drl]

As others have noted, both are correct. The distinction is primarily regional. Dove is widely used in certain regions of the United States but not everywhere. The past participle is, and has always been, dived (we have dived in Cozumel many times) but I have heard "have diven" used jocularly.

 

[cbm32]

Dove.....because I said so.

 

[boulderjohn]

I entered college in 1968. My freshman English class had a fairly old and well established grammar handbook. It has an introductory section on this sort of thing. I remember vividly one quote from it: If someone asks, "Can I go to the bathroom?", only an English teacher would not know what he meant.

Language evolves over time, and most changes improve it. The biggest problem with the English language is that it began as a rough mixture of several different languages with several different grammar system. As a result, we have different ways to form plurals (cows or oxen; boys, girls, and children), conjugate verbs, form past tenses, etc. Over the centuries we have been gradually evening it all out, slowly reducing the numbers of variations. It's a good thing.

I think post #11 made the best recommendation for this case.

 

[lowviz]

I entered college in 1968.

How about that? Same here. I received a rather rigorous education in American English. Against my will at the time, but the poison took and to this day I strive to speak correctly.

I think post #11 made the best recommendation for this case.

Agreed.

Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman, fifth printing 2006. 5.2.6.2 Regular and Irregular Forms (verbs) pg. 398:

"Dive is unusual in exhibiting variation only in the past tense (between dived and dove). The regular variant dived is used over 90 percent of the time in fiction and news (the only registers with sufficient occurrences to judge)."

Longman covers the four main registers of English: Conversation, fiction, news, and academic prose.

I use either, post #11 is a sufficient explanation for my purposes as either is technically correct.

I did not vote as there was no "EITHER ONE"

 

[socaljohn]

I dove dived if I had brought my gear

 

[3D diver]

I did not vote as there was no "EITHER ONE"

One of the other forums I visit usually includes "I like pie" as a poll option.


Just a suggestion.

 

[FinnMom]

I still like "I be done dived". It's got character that more than makes up for a lack of polish.

 

[Russoft]

it's a tie, 22 to 22. I could've voted either way. It was a toss up. Dove is easier to say, Dived seems more proper to distinguish SCUBA from the act of having jumped into the water, head first.

 

[drl]

I went diving.