"To be" or not "to be"

[ORChick]

Forgive me, this has absolutely nothing to do with SS, but it is something I have become curious about, and don't know who else to ask.
I have been noticing for quite some time, mostly on forum posts both here and otherwhere, the increasing lack of "to be".... as in " the house needs (to be) painted". What is this? At first I thought it was just people thinking faster than they were typing - this happens to me a lot. But since it happens so often I wonder if there isn't something else going on. I do not text, or twitter, or anything like that, and wonder if this is a manner of shorthand, known and understood by all the writer's peers? Anybody out there who can satisfy this old Luddite's curiosity?

 

[~gd]

Forgive me, this has absolutely nothing to do with SS, but it is something I have become curious about, and don't know who else to ask.
I have been noticing for quite some time, mostly on forum posts both here and otherwhere, the increasing lack of "to be".... as in " the house needs (to be) painted". What is this? At first I thought it was just people thinking faster than they were typing - this happens to me a lot. But since it happens so often I wonder if there isn't something else going on. I do not text, or twitter, or anything like that, and wonder if this is a manner of shorthand, known and understood by all the writer's peers? Anybody out there who can satisfy this old Luddite's curiosity?

Do you mean like "The house needs painting" Or "The house needs paint"? To me those are OK English where" the house needs painted" is not. I don't recall seeing much of the last type

 

[mandieg4]

Probably because that is how people talk in real life.

 

[Dace]

I know people who speak like that....it is a little odd.

 

[framing fowl]

I sometimes slip into an "Eastern Kentucky" vernacular and will say things like "The tomatoes need picked today." Now that you mention it, it does seem like I hear and read that more. Hmmm... I'll have to start paying more attention.

I don't think they make you diagram sentences in school anymore though... just sayin'.

 

[Javamama]

I think it's because we type the way we talk. We feel casual here, so we write in that manner. Is that what you are asking? Plus there are regional differences in the way people speak.

 

[TanksHill]

Sometimes when I talk to people here I find myself saying things the way they are spoken in the forum. I tend to sound a bit country! !

 

[ORChick]

Forgive me, this has absolutely nothing to do with SS, but it is something I have become curious about, and don't know who else to ask.
I have been noticing for quite some time, mostly on forum posts both here and otherwhere, the increasing lack of "to be".... as in " the house needs (to be) painted". What is this? At first I thought it was just people thinking faster than they were typing - this happens to me a lot. But since it happens so often I wonder if there isn't something else going on. I do not text, or twitter, or anything like that, and wonder if this is a manner of shorthand, known and understood by all the writer's peers? Anybody out there who can satisfy this old Luddite's curiosity?

Do you mean like "The house needs painting" Or "The house needs paint"? To me those are OK English where" the house needs painted" is not. I don't recall seeing much of the last type

No, I mean "the house needs painted". You're right, the other two are perfectly correct. Now that I have pointed it out you may notice it more.

 

[ORChick]

Probably because that is how people talk in real life.

Really? Where? No one I know does. Is that a regional thing? I have only ever lived on the west coast.

 

[FarmerChick]

I don't bother with searching out or "those things" don't hit me much. I have too much on my plate. Now I do have tons of other pet peeves tho that annoy me LOL