Just a chime....or??

[robb_k]

So, as I understand you, people don't use imperfect and past perfect tenses in Britain anymore? Do they not use them in USA anymore? I woudn't know, because when I'm in USA [[Los Angeles, to be precise), I only meet Spanish speakers. I hardly know I'm in a supposedly English speaking nation. My Castilian is not all that helppful, as most of my neighbours are Oaxacan.

But, when I'm back in Winnipeg, among my own generation, and the one below, I hear "have gotten" and "had gotten" enough. But, perhaps our grandchildren's generation doesn't use it anymore? I do notice a dropping in old speech forms in Dutch speech as well, from my own generation to today's youth and common usage. They are all going to end up like Mexican Spanish, using only straight present and straight past tenses. I guess my speech and writing styles are like old fossils, now.

Funny thing, - I spentquite a bit of time in England during the 1970s and 1980s [[mostly in Greater London Area and Lancashire [[Manchester/Salford/Eccles/Oldham), and don't remember being shocked at the language degradation you describe). Maybe it has changed most in just the past 30 years?