Lost for words

Wise Words: lost

Finally, it’s over.

After six seasons, Lost, the cult American TV series, has come to a dramatic and heart-wrenching end (or to a confusing, incomplete and frustrating end, depending on your personal view). Our family has been watching the last series religiously (fans of Lost will know why I use that word), but we were lost for words when the series ended with a blink of an eyelid — just as it had started. I won’t give away anything in case you haven’t watched the finale yet, but believe me, it’s quite a ride.

Are you feeling a bit lost, too?

"Lost" is the past participle and past simple tense of the verb “lose”. This is an irregular verb that learners often confuse with “loose” or “loss”. There’s no need to. “Loose” is an adjective that refers to something that is not tight, careful, innocent or exact (“loose knot”, “loose talk”, “loose woman”, “loose interpretation”), while "loss" is a noun (“I'm at a loss for words”, “I’m sorry for your loss”, “loss of hearing”, “make a loss”). "Lose" and "lost" have even more uses.