To start with, the inclusion of the full stop in the statement is not an error. I must quickly note this since you might think the punctuation mark is not expected in a headline. It is particularly acceptable in the context because we have presented the expression to be analysed as a separate main clause though working within the larger sentence. So, what else do you think the error is?
Forget or leave?
It has to do with the use of ‘forget/forgot’ which, though is a common verb, is usually misused. As we have in the given clause, ‘forget’ is often confused with ‘leave’. They are synonyms in the structure but there is a grammatical difference in the contexts they appear.
‘Forget’ has different meanings, including a piece of advice as we have in ‘Let’s forgive and forget’ In the sentence under scrutiny, however, it means not remembering to take something along. According to Cambridge Dictionary, for instance, we sometimes use ‘forget’ when we don’t remember to bring something with us. Consider:
He missed the interview because he forgot his ID card.
Although he forgot the invitation card, he eventually located the venue.
Put the money in your bag lest you forget to do so in the morning.
To start with, the inclusion of the full stop in the statement is not an error. I must quickly note this since you might think the punctuation mark is not expected in a headline. It is particularly acceptable in the context because we have presented the expression to be analysed as a separate main clause though working within the larger sentence. So, what else do you think the error is?
Forget or leave?
It has to do with the use of ‘forget/forgot’ which, though is a common verb, is usually misused. As we have in the given clause, ‘forget’ is often confused with ‘leave’. They are synonyms in the structure but there is a grammatical difference in the contexts they appear.
‘Forget’ has different meanings, including a piece of advice as we have in ‘Let’s forgive and forget’ In the sentence under scrutiny, however, it means not remembering to take something along. According to Cambridge Dictionary, for instance, we sometimes use ‘forget’ when we don’t remember to bring something with us. Consider:
I Now Understand How Great My Husband Was — Late Lai Oso’s…
He missed the interview because he forgot his ID card.
Although he forgot the invitation card, he eventually located the venue.
Put the money in your bag lest you forget to do so in the morning.
Interestingly, ‘leave’ also means the same thing; that is, not remembering to take something along. Hence, we can say:
He missed the interview because he left his ID card at home.
Although he left the invitation card in office, he eventually located the venue.
Put the money in your bag lest you leave it on the table.
Now, what is the difference in the usages? And what is wrong in ‘I forgot the bag at home’?
Absence or presence of place
In the first set of sentences where ‘forgot’ is used, the places the items were left are not stated. In the ones where we have ‘leave/left’, the places are indicated. That is the difference! Here is the vital rule according to Cambridge: We use ‘leave’ … only if we mention the place we left something. So, the correct statements are:
