Leave something vs. forget something

Question

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 1

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.

Answer 2

One definition of forget is to inadvertently leave behind (OED). Notice inadvertently.

And yes you can indicate where using a prepositional phrase, whether it's at home, on the bus, or anywhere else. Apparently the prepositional phrase refers to the location of the forgotten object (as opposed to where the person was when they forgot the object).

For an early usage (1611) see the King James Bible

When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: (Deuteronomy 24:19).

Using modern spelling it's

...have forgot a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it.

It's clear the shief was forgotten (left behind) in the field because the verse says don't go back and get (fetch) it.

One example sentence from the Oxford dictionary online is interesting:

She almost forgot to bring her cell phone at the top of the kitchen counter but luckily she remembered it.

To me this sounds a little disconcerting because the phone (1) was not actually forgotten, and (2) the prepositional phrase gives such an exact location of where the the "almost-forgotten phone" was–but no longer is!