OFF: "gotten"?

[Shari Hill]

In a message dated 5/21/97 7:16:31 AM, you wrote:

>Jerry:
>> > Er, "it's gotten"? Shouldn't that be "it's got"?
>
>Ron Jennings wrote:
>> i believe "its got" should be used when you mean to say "it has"
>> (possession.)
>> "it's gotten" should be used when you say "it has recieved."  or "it has
>> gotten to the point where..."
>> failing that, maybe it shouldn't be used at all.
>
>I am pretty sure "gotten" is not a valid word in English as spoken in the
UK.

Ron's right--"it has gotten" reflects modern standard usage in the US.  Don't
have any UK-produced grammar books, so I don't know what's standard there.

Reminds me of Henry Higgins' song in "My Fair Lady" re: speaking the English
language-- ". . . the Americans haven't spoken it in years!"  :-)

Shari