Since when is the past tense of the verb “shine” “shined” rather than “shone?”
Example: In this NYT op/ed discussing America’s failing infrastructure we find the following sentence:
The deadly collapse of a Minnesota highway bridge in August shined a light on the poor state of the nation?s bridges, many thousands of which are ?structurally deficient? by federal standards.
It sounds, reads, and looks wrong.
Back in the day, I think it was explained to me as ‘shone’ being the intrasitive form of the verb and ‘shined’ being the transitive. Therefore, the silver shone brightly because I shined it. I think. 😉
The sun shone. The silver was shined. The sheep were shorn.
Guess the editors at the Grey Lady are no longer “grey haired” folks who would have known (or would that be in the modern vernacular…knowed) better.
For what it’s worth, Webster and American Heritage recognize both “shined” and “shone”; except in the sense of polishing silver, shoes, etc. when it’s just “shined.”
Dunno. When I hear the sound “shohn” I think show/shown rather than shine/shone. But that’s just me.
I agree with Kate about transitive and intransitive forms of the verb. I think.