When you’ve always thought you’re right, but you’ve actually always been wrong

I thought to write a blog entry about English grammar.

Now, I’ll never say such a thing again. I don’t mean I would never write a blog entry again or that I would never write about English grammar again. But I’m never going to say I thought to do (something).

Do you know the feeling when you think you know something – when you’ve believed in years that you do – but then you realize you actually don’t know about it? You bump into reality to realize you’ve always been wrong. If the answer is yes, then you know exactly how I feel right now. It's quite an embarrassing feeling that can put you down a bit. But before you’re going to laugh at me or think I’m totally weird I want to assure this isn’t the question about life and death. This is simply again one of the things I feel like sharing.

I’m blessed to have some very good native English-speaking friends online. It surely is one of the reasons why my English is as good as it is. These people are also ready to help me unselfishly, which is very praiseworthy. And I’m deeply grateful to have them as friends – not only because they are there if I need support with English – but because they are good people and good friends.

I’ve always “thought to” go to bed, “thought to” pay my mother a visit, “thought to” go to the supermarket, “thought to” watch a movie, and “thought to” sleep late on Saturday morning. But not until the weekend, I’ve not realized it’s actually not quite correct to say it in that way.

Instead, I was told it’d be better to say, “I thought about going to bed,” or, “I thought I’d go to bed.” First such a comment made my blood boil. It did because I was sure also the way I was saying it would be correct. You see, when you’ve learned something and used it for long enough you start believing and feeling it’s correct. And then it’s hard at first to accept it’s actually not.

So, I thought I’d share – not I thought to share – this tiny grammar dilemma with you that opened up to me today when I got an opinion from one of the friends of mine. Naturally, when I was first pointed it out I thought to ask of what my other friends thought about it. But a native speaker is a native speaker. And I trust my friends.

Also to point it out, I could have googled or researched the issue. But to be honest, I prefer asking someone who’s professional or who has very sound knowledge about the subject I’m examining. I’ve always thought practical knowledge may even be better than the knowledge you can learn by reading books.

I also have a proof of that. Ever since I started having native English-speaking friends online whom I could ask I realized how much more I got from talking to them instead of studying stuff from books. My main English teacher in 1997-2004 was from Kentucky. And in his classes I learned much more than in the classes which were hosted by Finnish people. So, that should really prove something, shouldn’t it?

Last but not least, I must be a bit sarcastic because I love sarcasm! So, I’ll say that if there are many grammar mistakes and slips in this entry then it only means I have more good reasons to keep studying, researching, examining, and learning English! I don’t aim at being perfect. But I aim at learning and discovering. Those two things are what really fascinate me a lot!