Past/passed

Likewise “learnt” and “learned” although I think past (former ) and passed (went past - see what I did there?) are easier.
when I overthink things.

Lay Lie

Is 'learnt' actually a word though. People also have problems with defuse and diffuse.
I thought for a moment this would be a thread about dying.

I think too many people rely on spell checkers and actually do not know how to spell. Spell checkers are not contextual so if the letters on the screen spell a word, it accepts it, even if it is wrong for its situation.

Defuse/diffuse surprises me. Their meanings are so different. You defuse bombs and some people have plug-in scented diffusers in their homes that diffuse a scent into the air

I think "learnt" is simply an older form that is less common nowadays; similar verbs are spoilt/spoiled and earnt/earned. Both forms can be either the past tense or the past participle.

"Past" and "passed" are more troublesome because they are used differently. "Passed" is the past tense of "pass" (I passed my exam) and also the past participle (I have passed all my exams) but "past" can't be used to replace it, because we have extra meanigs for "past"; it's a noun used to denote times or events that are further back in time (in the past), and also as a preposition (I drove past your house; it is past my bedtime.) If we want to use a verb, it would be "I passed your house" (past tense of "pass").

Effect and affect; offence and offense.

I was talking with my 5 year old GD last week about the madness of the English language. Wrote and boat were the words under discussion.

There is nothing wrong with using a spell checker but you need to use a grammar check too and make sure it is on English not on US setting !

I use learnt and spelt to try, in my own little way, to keep the old spellings alive. American English spelling is becoming more prevalent these days. I like the old way of spelling best.

I think “earnt/ earned “ is even more fraught.
“Earned” is both a past tense and an adjective ( e.g. earned/ unearned income)
In fact do we use “earnt” at all?
Oh it ges worse the more you think about it!

I thought past was a noun and passed a verb?
I don't know about the others though - maybe accepted alternatives in modern times.

They are completely different MOnica but I have lost count of the number of times I have seen in newspapers or books 'the situation was diffused' or 'the light was defused round the room' for example grrrrr

Never heard 'earnt' * Maw* that sounds even worse.

Fennel: yes you're right, as I said above, past can also be a noun, as in "in the past" but also a preposition, as in "You walked right past me" or "half past two"; and yes, "passed" is a verb.

Luckygirl; effect and affect aren't alternative spellings, they are different words with different meanings.
"Offense" is not correct in UK spelling, it's only used in the US.

Spilt-spilled. Present and past tense ?
Those words ending in " T " = present.

I never know when to used learned or learnt but I do think learned is used here and in America whereas learnt is used more often here in Britain.

Learned can be used as an adjective too eg learned professor

Other words are similar, eg burned and burnt and most people would say 'I burnt the toast' rather than burned
Spoiled/spoilt, spelled/spelt

This link about the use of past and passed may help you:
blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/01/07/passed-past/

I have just looked up the link Jalima and it was helpful but rather lengthy ! I have copied the tip which I think will help me and here it is. Thanks.

‘I hope this has helped and that you’re not past caring about the whole subject! Here’s a final hint: past is never a verb, so if you know that the word you want is a verb, passed is always the right choice. Conversely, if you need a noun, adjective, adverb, or preposition, it’s got to be past.’

Finally Jalima the owner of that dog you kindly looked after earlier this year, would definitely know the answers to all our queries. ?

I realise I always say I burnt the toast (quite frequently! ) but always have to think with learnt and learned.

Help, I must have amnesia, trying to remember the dog, that is worrying

Ellan Vannin: no, the present tense is spill (and learn, pass, burn etc).

Funny, isn't it, how that -t ending (which I think is gradually becoming archaic) is used on some words but not on other, similar ones: burnt but not turnt, spilt but not fillt.

Jalima do you remember her Maj and her corgis ?

I had forgotten NanKate!

I suspect Jalima you will no longer get a royal Christmas card from her Maj or the ?

gnashing my teeth currently about a post on the village website that refers to " the oldest record of male residence in the village"

Aaarrgh!

I have trouble with learnt and learned and also bought and brought

I certainly use earnt and learnt as they are definitely words!! There are other similar forms. Here's a link:
en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/learnt-vs-learned