You may have noticed that in the previous blog post, I used the word ‘learned’. You may have thought the word ’learnt’ should have been used instead. There is some debate about which is better.
As the BBC World Service explains, both are technically correct. Once upon a time, concensus would have dictated that learnt would be the most appropriate word for a British writer to use. However, partly due to the influence of Americanisms, learned has become increasingly popular on this side of the Atlantic. While I would generally like to try my best to avoid American English, learned somehow seems more relaxed. Much as ’while’ seems slightly more natural, when placed in a modern piece of writing, than ‘whilst’ would.
