ANSWER: "sit" versus "sat" versus "set."
Happy Monday, Fandom Grammar watchers! Today, we’ll be answering a question submitted by one of our watchers, lanalucy:
“What are the differences between ‘sit,’ ‘sat,’ and ‘set?’”
An excellent question as both writers and readers tend to mix up these three-particularly “sit” and “set”-quite a bit. Lara and the rest of the characters of Tomb Raider will help us discover the answer.
"Sit"
“Sit” is the first-person singular, second-person, first-person plural, and third-person plural conjugations of the verb “to sit,” which means “to rest the weight of the body upon the buttocks and the back of the thighs, as on a chair” or, more simply, to “be seated.” It applies solely to the person who is performing the act of sitting. An example:
Pointing the gun at Lara, Amanda yanked the sword piece from her hands. She then waved her over to a nearby boulder.
“Sit. Now,” she said, nodding at it.
"Sat"
“Sat” is the universal past tense conjugation and past participle of “to sit.” An example:
The sun was now just below the horizon. The jungle was dark-almost too dark to traverse without accidentally setting off a trap or stepping on a poison snake. And Lara was tired besides. So, instead of moving forward, she found a nearby outcropping of rock, sat down under it, and made a fire.
In British English, "is sat" is commonly used in the place of the standard English "is sitting." You can read more about this usage in green_grrl's article on the subject.
“Sat.” (with a period on the end) serves as an abbreviation for Saturday and the planet Saturn.
Additionally, S.A.T. is the acronym for the Scholastic Aptitude Test, one of two major tests that most American colleges require prospective students to take prior to applying. The S.A.T. allows colleges to compare the performances of all applicants and then decide which applicants they’ll accept based (in part) on the applicants’ scores. As such, S.A.T. preparation often proves stressful for high school students. In fact, the stress-inducing process inspired a 2004 film called The Perfect Score, which follows the exploits of a group of high school students who, concerned that they’ll do poorly on the test and thus ruin their chances at success, conspire to steal the answers to the S.A.T. (The other major test is the A.C.T., which stands for “American College Testing.”) An example:
“Here, put this in the ‘get rid of’ box,” Sam said as she shoved a stack of thick books at Lara. She then turned back around and continued ripping through their dorm room closet.
“What are these?” Lara asked.
“My old S.A.T. prep books,” she answered. “I’m going to graduate college in three days, so I don’t think I need them anymore.”
"Set"
“Set” acts as the universal present tense conjugation, universal past tense conjugation, and past participle of the verb “to set” as well as a noun. In contrast to the verb “to sit,” “to set” means “to cause to sit” or “to seat”-that is, to make something or someone else sit or assuming a sitting/resting position. In this fashion, it applies more to the person or item receiving the action than to the person who is performing the action. An example:
Before she continued through the temple, Lara set the Serpent Stone on the ground so that she could make room for it in her rucksack.
Likewise, “to set” can mean also “to affix” or “to schedule”-basically referring to the act of “to put in place.” Two examples:
The gate ahead was locked. Across from it was a large, blue statue of Shiva with two empty hands curled into fists, if they were supposed to be holding. On either side of the room were two similar, smaller, green statues, a golden scimitar set in one hand. Prying both scimitars from the statutes, Lara placed them in the hands of the blue statue. Behind her, the gate slid open.
“I’m here for the appointment that I set with your boss, Louis Bouchard,” Lara said as she approached the mobster sitting outside the entrance to Bouchard’s sewer hideout. “Tell him that I’ve obtained the object that he requested and, accordingly, want what I requested in return-and I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
"To set" often acts as a transitive verb, in which case it requires an object to make its meaning clear. (You can read more about transitive verbs in green_grrl's article on the subject.) Additionally, many writers use "to set" in the passive voice so that the object that it describes moves to the front of the verb, the place that's usually occupied by the subject of a sentence.
The noun “set” refers to “a company or group with common habits, occupation, [and] interests.” An example:
Before moving back out into the Hall of Seasons, Lara checked her rucksack. She had the air crystal, the fire crystal, the water crystal, and the earth crystal-the full set of elemental crystals. She was ready to go.
Additionally, “Set” can also refer to the Egyptian god Set (whose name is commonly spelled as “Seth”), who acts as the god of war, deserts, storms, foreign lands, and general chaos. He is classified as an evil god and is portrayed as a humanoid jackal. An example:
Once she reached temple doors that led back outside, Lara pulled out the Ankh that she’d pried off the sarcophagus. She flipped it over. The hieroglyphs on the back said that the Ankh was used to ward off Set and the evil that he caused. Good. She’d need it in case that sandstorm that was forecast really did roll in.
Sources
Encyclopedia Mythica
S.A.T. @ CollegeBoard
Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition
“What are the differences between ‘sit,’ ‘sat,’ and ‘set?’”
An excellent question as both writers and readers tend to mix up these three-particularly “sit” and “set”-quite a bit. Lara and the rest of the characters of Tomb Raider will help us discover the answer.
"Sit"
“Sit” is the first-person singular, second-person, first-person plural, and third-person plural conjugations of the verb “to sit,” which means “to rest the weight of the body upon the buttocks and the back of the thighs, as on a chair” or, more simply, to “be seated.” It applies solely to the person who is performing the act of sitting. An example:
Pointing the gun at Lara, Amanda yanked the sword piece from her hands. She then waved her over to a nearby boulder.
“Sit. Now,” she said, nodding at it.
"Sat"
“Sat” is the universal past tense conjugation and past participle of “to sit.” An example:
The sun was now just below the horizon. The jungle was dark-almost too dark to traverse without accidentally setting off a trap or stepping on a poison snake. And Lara was tired besides. So, instead of moving forward, she found a nearby outcropping of rock, sat down under it, and made a fire.
In British English, "is sat" is commonly used in the place of the standard English "is sitting." You can read more about this usage in green_grrl's article on the subject.
“Sat.” (with a period on the end) serves as an abbreviation for Saturday and the planet Saturn.
Additionally, S.A.T. is the acronym for the Scholastic Aptitude Test, one of two major tests that most American colleges require prospective students to take prior to applying. The S.A.T. allows colleges to compare the performances of all applicants and then decide which applicants they’ll accept based (in part) on the applicants’ scores. As such, S.A.T. preparation often proves stressful for high school students. In fact, the stress-inducing process inspired a 2004 film called The Perfect Score, which follows the exploits of a group of high school students who, concerned that they’ll do poorly on the test and thus ruin their chances at success, conspire to steal the answers to the S.A.T. (The other major test is the A.C.T., which stands for “American College Testing.”) An example:
“Here, put this in the ‘get rid of’ box,” Sam said as she shoved a stack of thick books at Lara. She then turned back around and continued ripping through their dorm room closet.
“What are these?” Lara asked.
“My old S.A.T. prep books,” she answered. “I’m going to graduate college in three days, so I don’t think I need them anymore.”
"Set"
“Set” acts as the universal present tense conjugation, universal past tense conjugation, and past participle of the verb “to set” as well as a noun. In contrast to the verb “to sit,” “to set” means “to cause to sit” or “to seat”-that is, to make something or someone else sit or assuming a sitting/resting position. In this fashion, it applies more to the person or item receiving the action than to the person who is performing the action. An example:
Before she continued through the temple, Lara set the Serpent Stone on the ground so that she could make room for it in her rucksack.
Likewise, “to set” can mean also “to affix” or “to schedule”-basically referring to the act of “to put in place.” Two examples:
The gate ahead was locked. Across from it was a large, blue statue of Shiva with two empty hands curled into fists, if they were supposed to be holding. On either side of the room were two similar, smaller, green statues, a golden scimitar set in one hand. Prying both scimitars from the statutes, Lara placed them in the hands of the blue statue. Behind her, the gate slid open.
“I’m here for the appointment that I set with your boss, Louis Bouchard,” Lara said as she approached the mobster sitting outside the entrance to Bouchard’s sewer hideout. “Tell him that I’ve obtained the object that he requested and, accordingly, want what I requested in return-and I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
"To set" often acts as a transitive verb, in which case it requires an object to make its meaning clear. (You can read more about transitive verbs in green_grrl's article on the subject.) Additionally, many writers use "to set" in the passive voice so that the object that it describes moves to the front of the verb, the place that's usually occupied by the subject of a sentence.
The noun “set” refers to “a company or group with common habits, occupation, [and] interests.” An example:
Before moving back out into the Hall of Seasons, Lara checked her rucksack. She had the air crystal, the fire crystal, the water crystal, and the earth crystal-the full set of elemental crystals. She was ready to go.
Additionally, “Set” can also refer to the Egyptian god Set (whose name is commonly spelled as “Seth”), who acts as the god of war, deserts, storms, foreign lands, and general chaos. He is classified as an evil god and is portrayed as a humanoid jackal. An example:
Once she reached temple doors that led back outside, Lara pulled out the Ankh that she’d pried off the sarcophagus. She flipped it over. The hieroglyphs on the back said that the Ankh was used to ward off Set and the evil that he caused. Good. She’d need it in case that sandstorm that was forecast really did roll in.
Sources
Encyclopedia Mythica
S.A.T. @ CollegeBoard
Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition