word usage - Leave something vs. forget something


Can you forget something somewhere?


I expect that much more common is



I have left my book at home.



But, based on other languages where it is quite common (and based on the fact that I somehow feel an intention hidden under the I have left), can you also use (in general, or GB/US/CA/AU specific) the following form?



I have forgotten my book at home.



If a pupil says the first sentence (with leave) in school, will the teacher interpret it as



I have intentionally left my book at home.



or



I have accidentally left my book at home.



?



Answer



There is nothing wrong with using forget in the context of articles you have accidentally left somewhere, especially informally.


If you say



I forgot my book at home.



nobody will give your usage a second's thought. They'll simply understand that you don't have your book, and why.


It's also shorter and less fussy than saying you "accidentally left your book at home," which may smack of over-explanation.


Remember, it's informal, so you might not want to use it in up-register situations. But it's how people talk in real life.


As for whether there is some "hidden intention" in using present perfect instead of simple past, I can think of none. Either could be used, and nuances would be conveyed with context or vocal modulation.


later


I don't know where you get the idea that one version is more intentional than the other, but I can assure you as a native speaker of English that such a connotation doesn't exist.


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