Correct use of Practice(n) and practise(v)

1 2

Share on Facebook

ponkytwo

#87686 Thu, 07 Apr 05 10:40 AM

Can one use the following statement:
"Our practise makes yours perfect"
This is a play on words. I refer to "Our PRACTISE" as being what we do to help your PRACTICE (say medical).
I realise using "We practise" and "I practise" is correct, but can one use the word "Our" in the above example?

ponkytwo

Joined on Thu, Apr 7 2005

New Member (04)

bvpraveen

#87723 Thu, 07 Apr 05 12:29 PM

Can anyone gives some practical examples for the usage of 'practice' and 'practise'?

bvpraveen

Joined on Sat, Mar 5 2005

Coimbatore, India

Regular Member (507)

julielai

#87807 Thu, 07 Apr 05 03:01 PM

Hi Praveen,

In British English, practise in the verb; practice is the noun.
American English makes no such distinction.

Hope this helps

PS What does "our practise" refer to?

julielai

Joined on Sun, Oct 24 2004

Planet earth

Senior Member (3,570)

Just another blogger (http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/julie-lai)

American English, British English, Nouns, Verbs

ponkytwo

#87830 Thu, 07 Apr 05 04:32 PM

As can be seen in my original question, I draw the distinction between the verb(v) and Noun (n).
"Our practise" refers to the business methods used to improve medical/dental practices run more efficiently.
The catch line, as mentioned, is a play on words.
I have been told that one cannot use the word "Our" with practise, only "I" and "We"
Hope this helps you understand the question a bit better.
What I really want to know is if it is grammatically correct to use the word "practise" in the context of the slogan line mentioned in the original question
Thanks

ponkytwo

Nouns, Verbs

julielai

#87832 Thu, 07 Apr 05 04:36 PM

Are you talking about a partnership? In that case, our practice sounds fine to me. Just my 2 cents.

Americans use practise and practice interchangeably.

julielai

ponkytwo

#88108 Fri, 08 Apr 05 01:00 PM

Yes, it is a business with a few members in it. However, it is the act of actually doing something (v) to improve the practice(n) of another business, which happens to be a dental practice.
Thus, the slogan..."Our practise(v) makes yours (practice {n}) perfect"
As I see it, it is a play on words.
I'm still not convinced that I have received a satisfactory answer.
Thanks again

ponkytwo

MrPedantic

#88337 Sat, 09 Apr 05 01:03 AM

Hello P²

It sounds fine to me, as follows:

'Our practice makes yours perfect.'

The expression 'practice makes perfect' already exists in English, so your slogan would be immediately understandable as a pun.

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (12,047)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

Expressions

ponkytwo

#88383 Sat, 09 Apr 05 06:52 AM

It seems nobody understands my question. I use the word PRACTISE and not PRACTICE in my slogan.
Guess I'll never get the answer I'm looking for!
Thanks anyway

ponkytwo

MrPedantic

#88417 Sat, 09 Apr 05 11:10 AM

Sorry, Ponky, I didn't explain very well. Let me try again:

'Practise' is a noun, in the context of your sentence (it's modified by 'our', and implicitly by 'your').

For the noun use, 'practice' is the more usual spelling. 'Practise' is a variant.

Your slogan also plays on the phrase 'practice makes perfect'. This phrase almost always uses 'practice' in preference to 'practise'.

So for the meaning you require, it would probably be better to say 'Our practice...', as that's the more usual spelling.

(If you use 'practise', it will not improve your slogan, as the pun is already clear. The link to the verb 'practise' is already perfectly manifest.)

Is that any better?

Let me know if not!

MrP

MrPedantic

Nouns, Spelling, Verbs

1 2