what I forgot

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "what I forgot" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to something specific that you failed to remember. Example: "I need to recall what I forgot before the meeting." Alternative expressions include "what I left out" and "what slipped my mind."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Guess what I forgot to do.

The Guardian

What I forgot was how hard it is to find a phone that works.

The New York Times

But as Sue Halpern reports in "Can't Remember What I Forgot," even a few brisk walks per week can have a measurable effect.

The New York Times - Books

"Start talking, something will come" – that's his philosophy on creativity, and he has spent his latter years knocking out an impressive number of books, with titles such as What I Forgot to Remember and I Just Remembered.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

What I forgot is that the most common state for a programmer is a sense of inadequacy.

TechCrunch

What I forgot is that the bit of the park you have to go through, there's a big fucking hill.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

But what I forget, and shouldn't, is what AIDS has given to me.

Huffington Post

Thanks to age and Momnesia, I'm astonished by what I forget and even more astonished by what I remember.

Huffington Post

What I learned, forgot and relearned from George Martin, the master of the Beatles sound.

Los Angeles Times

What if I forgot to shave my legs?

The New York Times

What I'd forgotten to keep up was my flexibility and my stretching".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with a preceding verb of cognition like "remember", "realize", or "recollect" to provide clear context for the memory lapse.

Common error

Avoid using the past tense "what I forgot" when referring to a recurring habit or a general state of forgetfulness. In those cases, use the present tense "what I forget". For example, say "I often list what I forget" for habits, but "I finally remembered what I forgot" for a specific past event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what I forgot" functions as a nominal relative clause (also known as a free relative clause). In this structure, the word "what" acts as both the relative pronoun and its own antecedent, essentially meaning "the thing that". According to Ludwig AI examples, it typically serves as a direct object (e.g., "Guess what I forgot to do") or a subject complement (e.g., "That is what I forgot").

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Informal

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "what I forgot" is a highly functional and grammatically correct English expression used to identify a memory lapse. It is classified as a nominal relative clause, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into sentences as a subject or object. Based on the data from Ludwig, the phrase is most prevalent in News & Media and personal narratives, where it often introduces a key realization or a missing plot point. While it is universally understood, writers should be mindful of tense consistency, distinguishing between the past-focused "what I forgot" and the habitual "what I forget". For more formal contexts, alternatives like "what I failed to remember" may be more appropriate, though "what I forgot" remains a staple of clear, direct English communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the thing I forgot

Uses a more explicit noun phrase structure for clarity.

what slipped my mind

Uses an idiomatic expression to sound more casual and less self-blaming.

what I failed to remember

A more formal and slightly more emphatic construction.

what I couldn't recall

Emphasizes the struggle of the memory retrieval process.

what I overlooked

Suggests a failure to notice something rather than a failure to remember it.

what I left out

Focuses on the exclusion of information rather than the mental act of forgetting.

what went out of my head

A colloquial alternative common in British English.

what I neglected to mention

Specifically refers to forgotten information within a conversation or report.

that which I forgot

An archaic or highly literary way to phrase the same concept.

what I omitted

Highly formal, often used in professional or technical writing.

FAQs

How to use "what I forgot" in a sentence?

You can use "what I forgot" as a noun clause to provide detail about a memory lapse. For example, "I realized "what I forgot" only after I reached the airport."

What can I say instead of "what I forgot"?

Depending on the tone, you can use phrases like "what slipped my mind", "what I overlooked", or "what I failed to remember".

Which is correct, "what I forgot" or "what I've forgotten"?

Both are correct, but they carry different nuances. Use "what I forgot" for a completed past action and "what I've forgotten" (present perfect) to emphasize the current state of not knowing the information.

What is the difference between "what I forgot" and "what I forget"?

The difference lies in the tense. "what I forgot" refers to a specific instance in the past, while "what I forget" refers to something you habitually fail to remember.