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Subject: Re: everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal ( 2 of 14 )
Posted by Douglas Adams

The point about children naturally developing a grammar out of a factured language they find around them is derived from the (excellent) book The Language Instinct by Stephen Pinker.
'Learned' versus 'learnt'. This is a British v US usage issue, and I spend so much time going backwards and forwards between the two that I'm now not sure I can remember which is which. I would need to look it up. Here's what I *think* is the case. (But I would welcome correction)
UK -
'Learnt' is the participal for use in 'perfect' constructions, such as 'I have learnt.'
'Learned' is the regular past tense for use in aorist constructions 'I learned.'
US -
'Learnt' is used for both perfect and aorist constructions.

Now that I've written it down, I'm not at all certain I'm right... Any copy editors reading?
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