Candice LandauLast Updated on October 27, 2024 by Candice Landau
Ah, the English language—a glorious mishmash of borrowed words, baffling idioms, and grammar rules drafted during a game of Broken Telephone. It’s no wonder even native speakers occasionally find themselves floundering—I know I certainly did before I joined Scuba Diving magazine. In this article I’m going to delve into the murky waters of a particularly slippery debate:
Should you say “I dived” or “I dove”?
The great dive vs. dove debate
Let’s set the scene. You’re on a dive boat with a motley crew of divers—half in rebreathers, half strutting around in their drysuits (yeah, so cool). Given you’re the newbie in the crowd, you want to impress them with not just your own dive experience but also your impeccable grammar. Do you say, “I dived the Andrea Doria yesterday,” or do you say, “Yesterday, I dove the Andrea Doria”?
Before you hyperventilate into an existential crisis (and a dive malady), let’s explore both options.
A brief meander through history
Originally, “dived” was the only accepted past tense of “dive.” This made sense because “dive” is a regular verb, so naturally, you’d just add a “d” at the end. Simple, right? Well, not so fast.
Enter American English—the rebellious teenager of the linguistic family. Sometime in the 19th century, Americans started using “dove” as the past tense, possibly by analogy with “drive” and “drove.” It’s as if someone thought, “Well, if ‘drive’ becomes ‘drove,’ then ‘dive’ should become ‘dove,’ because why not shake things up?” Or, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, why not throw the tea out with the Brits? The grammar can go too.
Grammar rules—or guidelines?
In the world of English grammar, rules are more like the Pirates of the Caribbean’s code: they’re really more what you’d call “guidelines.” Both “dived” and “dove” are now accepted past tense forms of “dive.” Your choice might depend on where you are or whether you’re trying to sound like a sophisticated Brit or a laid-back American. No pressure there.
- British English: Prefers “dived.” The Brits also prefer tea and queueing, so take that into account.
- American English: Leans toward “dove.” Americans are also fond of burgers and rodeos. Need one say more.
Regional preferences and personal styles
If you’re writing a novel set in Victorian England, your character probably “dived” into the Thames. If your story is set in modern-day California, your surfer dude likely “dove” into the waves before catching a gnarly swell.
But wait! Even within regions, people might choose differently based on personal preference or the ever-mysterious whims of their third-grade grammar teacher. Or perhaps a favorite style guide.
The plot thickens—or deepens
Just when you thought you knew how to use it, we add another hiccup (or hiccough)—let’s consider the past participle. For those who’ve blocked out middle school English, the past participle is used with “have” to form perfect tenses. It’s a verb form that describes an action that has been, is being, or will be completed.
- “I have dived into this debate before.”
- “I have dove into this debate before.”
While “dived” is universally accepted as the past participle, “dove” as a past participle is considered nonstandard by some grammarians. So, if you want to play it safe (and avoid the Grammar Police), stick with “dived” after “have.”
In the end, whether you choose to say you “dived” or “dove” the Andrea Doria, you might not make the grammar splash you’d thought. Both are technically correct. Of course, if you ask a South African like me, you’d better be saying dived! And if you really have dived the Andrea Doria, darn. I’m suitably impressed.
