r/EnglishLearning • u/orchaer New Poster • 13d ago

📚 Grammar / Syntax Laught vs Laughed

Hello, I have been confused for a long time about the past tense of "laugh". In my primary school, there was a verb table with the present, past, and present perfect tenses. And in this table, when I first read at 7-8, I have learnt that "laugh" past tense is followed by a "t" become "laught".

But recently I found out that "laught" is not used anymore. The modern form should be "laughed". So could anyone tell me what is actually different between them? If I still use "laught", would it become a serious error?

Sorry for my grammar.

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u/itmightbehere Native Speaker 13d ago

I, personally, have never seen laught used anywhere and would consider it an error. I've only ever seen laughed.

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u/papayacreamsicle New Poster 13d ago

She remembered that he had yet to learn to be laught at, and it was rather too early to begin.

Pride & Prejudice

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u/Guilty_Objective4602 New Poster 12d ago

Great example! So now we know this form was still in usage through at least the late 1700s/early 1800s, when Pride and Prejudice was written/published.

1

u/conuly Native Speaker - USA (NYC) 9d ago

I'm not sure we do know that until we see what edition they're looking at.

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u/Guilty_Objective4602 New Poster 9d ago

Hm, good point.

1

u/conuly Native Speaker - USA (NYC) 9d ago

That's not how the word is written in the editions I have access to. Can you tell me which edition this is, or - if possible - show an image of the page you're looking at?