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RSSPrincipal Parts of the Verb TO FIT
Reader Barry Kemp has a question about fit:
One thing that has puzzled me for a while is the use of the word “fit”. It’s quite clear when one reads that “the new rug was a perfect fit in the apartment” But what is the rule for the past tense? We often read something like “it was a long stuggle but in the end he fit the pieces together” or “she slipped it on and the suit fit her perfectly” It is quite clear these sentences are past tense so why do we not use the past tense “fitted”?
This is one of those puzzles created by the differences between British and American usage.
British usage: fit, fit, (have) fitted
American usage: fit, fit, (have) fit
Other verbs that differ in this way are bet, get, and quit.
Americans say bet-bet-bet, get-got-gotten and quit-quit-quit.
British speakers say get-got-got and quit-quitted-quitted. They take their choice with bet and say either bet-bet-bet or bet-betted-betted.
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British usage: fit, fit, (have) fitted
Make that fit, fitted, (have) fitted.
Not sure if this is the place to put this comment, but what happened to the punctuation?
Your choice of the sentence:
“the new rug was a perfect fit in the apartment”
in order to discuss the verb “fit” is incorrect.
In the example you give, “FIT” is a noun.
Your subsequent sentences do show verbs.