Search results for 'tag:Conversations tag:British English' matching tags 'Conversations' and 'British English'

Re: Poll: British English vs American English

chikei1984 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:17:26 GMT

Frankly, I prefer British English rather than American English. In my point of view, the former one is formal and traditional. The latter one contains lots of proverb that has enormous local color. Besides, I donât like the conversation speed either, it is too fast.

Therefore, I would choose British English.

Re: Confused with verbs

Goodman — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:09:25 GMT

Marius Hancu wrote:
Goodman wrote:

Can i say: It is essential that we be informed of your plans. Yes!

Help him understand - Ok
It is essential that we ~~should~~ be informed of your plans.
We insist that he ~~must~~ be on time

There are those who use modal in subjunctive which in my opinion is improper but some considered it acceptable. I wouldn't not recommend it.

You may want to read (if you find it) the Grammar ... by G. Curme, the best treatment of subjunctive I know (published in the 30s, but re-issued). "Should be" is a legal subjunctive, weaker than "be," in his opinion.

Well there goes nothing! I had this debate many time over the same damned topic previously. You know what ! I was trying to confirm my own knowledge, I did some searching and 20 minutes later, the answers were 50/50 or inconclusive, but amazingly I accidentally came across this:

Moderator MrPedantic Join Date: Feb 2005

Country: England

Location: SE England

First Language: British English

Posts: 1,937

Hello Aurimas

If you leave out the "should" in those sentences, the meaning won't be changed; but in British English, you'll give a greater impression of formality.

For instance, if you were writing a strong letter of complaint about the ticket collector at your local station, you might use the subjunctive version:

1. He is rude, inconsiderate, and thoroughly obnoxious. I demand that he be sacked immediately.

While in conversation or less formal contexts, you would be more likely to use the "should" version:

2. I insisted that he should contact them immediately.

Incidentally, I copied and pasted a couple if interesting threads on this topic:

http://alt-usage-english.org/subjunctive_supplement.html

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/22159-try-tried.html

Re: which one?

Grammar Geek — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:44:34 GMT

I can confirm that accounting is an American word. We will need a British English speaker to address the use of the word "accountancy."

And PLEASE do not respond with 14 citations from dictionaries showing that it's a word. It's not used in the U.S. in everyday conversation.

Re: with or without 'at'

Cool Breeze — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:53:33 GMT

Grammar Geek wrote:
I go home, and I stay home, and I am home.
Certainly, with motion involved, there's no preposition: I went home, I ran home, I returned home...

Hi GG

That's certainly always true. However, especially in literary style and in upper-class British English there is a tendency to use at in all other cases. If Prime Minister James Hacker in a superb television series entitled Yes, Prime Minister were to tell somebody his whereabouts, I think he would say: I am at home.

In casual conversation people say: I'm home even in Britain.

Cheers
CB

Re: May/Might

CalifJim — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:52:58 GMT

Even on the pages of this forum you will find different opinions about the usage of may and might. The following are my personal feelings on the subject. Note that these are from the point of view of American English, and you may want to wait for further comments regarding British English.

To ask for something:

The most common is Can I go out and play?
More formal English has: May I go out to play?
More tentatively, more pleading: Might I go out to play?

The last two are very stiff and formal in American English. Only a small minority of American children would actually say them, especially the one with might.
_______

<<"That/this may/might have been the case..." "That/this idea might/may have some relevance">>
In these sentences I consider may and might entirely equivalent in meaning. In AmE may tends to be used more in formal writing and less in casual conversation, and might tends to be used more in casual conversation and less in formal writing.

CJ

Re: "shall" and "will" for 18th century readers: interchangeable?

Philip — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:21:43 GMT

Bokeh wrote:
Hi Teleostomi,

According to "Everyday Grammar - Oxford - ISBN 0-19-280116-3":

will/shall
Sometimes it is not clear whether one should use "shall" or "will".
The rule of traditional grammar is as follows:

Normally use "shall" with "I" and "we". Use will with all other persons.
Reverse this for emphasis, as in this famous example: "You will do it and nobody shall help you

Increasingly, however, "will" has become common in all uses.
Indeed "shall" is by far the least commomon of all the modal
auxiliary verbs: for every occasion where "shall"is used in
conversation, "will" is used fourteen times. The only common
occurrence of "shall" with "I" and "we" is in questions:
Shall I do it now?
The alternative "Will I do it now?", is also possible but in British
English tends to be regional rather than general usage.

That's the simple explanation I learned many, many years ago. I don't think the same distinction is made much any more in AmEng except in the most erudite situations.

[To make clear the above usage, my teacher then went on to explain that General MacArthur was trying to be emphatic by saying, "I shall return", when he should have used "will" to be emphatic (18th Century style).]

Re: "shall" and "will" for 18th century readers: interchangeable?

Bokeh — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:09:33 GMT

Hi Teleostomi,

According to "Everyday Grammar - Oxford - ISBN 0-19-280116-3":

will/shall
Sometimes it is not clear whether one should use "shall" or "will".
The rule of traditional grammar is as follows:

Normally use "shall" with "I" and "we". Use will with all other persons.
Reverse this for emphasis, as in this famous example: "You will do it and nobody shall help you

Increasingly, however, "will" has become common in all uses.
Indeed "shall" is by far the least commomon of all the modal
auxiliary verbs: for every occasion where "shall"is used in
conversation, "will" is used fourteen times. The only common
occurrence of "shall" with "I" and "we" is in questions:
Shall I do it now?
The alternative "Will I do it now?", is also possible but in British
English tends to be regional rather than general usage.

Re: Movements in the area of teaching spoken grammar

milky — Tue, 22 May 2007 23:48:24 GMT

Also, for Kooyeen:

"The following extract from an informal, casual conversation illustrates several of the important features of informal spoken grammar. The features are used regularly by speakers of British English across different regions and contexts of use and by speakers of different ages, genders, social classes and occupations. Potentially problematic areas for a traditional, written-based grammar book are highlighted in bold.

[Four speakers are sitting at the dinner table talking about a car accident that happened to the father of one of the speakers. At the end of this sequence they switch to another topic. Iâll just take that off and Have you got hold of it? are

references to a large pan which is on the dinner table.]

The = sign indicates an utterance which is cut short

The + sign indicates an interrupted turn which continues at the next + sign

A: Iâll just take that off. Take that off.

B: All looks great.

C: [laughs]

B: Mm.

C: Mm.

B: I think your dad was amazed wasnât he at the damage.

A: Mm.

B: Itâs not so much the parts. Itâs the labour charges for=

D: Oh that. For a car.

B: Have you got hold of it?

A: Yeah.

B: It was a bit erm=

A: Mm.

C: Mm.

B: A bit.

A: Thatâs right.

B: I mean they said theyâd have to take his car in for two days. And he said all

it is is straightening a panel. And theyâre like, âOh no. Itâs all new panel. You

canât do thisâ.

C: Any erm problem.

B: As soon as they hear insurance claim. Oh. Letâs get it right.

C: Yeah. Yeah. Anything to do with+

A: Wow.

C: +coach work is er+

A: Right.

C: +fatal isnât it.

A: Now."

http://www.cambridge.org/elt/cge/cge/pdfs/Introduction_to_Grammar.pdf

Re: pudding

Yankee — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:22:30 GMT

Vincent Teo wrote:
Thanks. but, my friends told me that "pudding" can be used in "countable" and "uncountable". So, that makes me blur.
Yes, it is countable in British English and uncountable in American English. And the main reason is that "pudding" does not have the same meaning in British English as it does in American English. In other words, it's one word for two different things.

If I say,
C = countable U = uncountable:

(a) We have many puddings. (C) / We have a lot of puddings. (C) / We have a lot of pudding. (U)

(b) We have a pudding / a mango pudding. (C) Using 'a' makes the word 'pudding' countable, so this sentence would be grammatically correct in British English. "A mango pudding" might be used to AmE in the following type of conversation:
Q: "Do you have any pudding?"
A: "Yes, we have a mango pudding as well as a chocolate pudding on the menu".
(In other words, to talk about a specific type of pudding.)

(c) I want to have a pudding. (C) This sentence is correct in British English.

Re: the ones / those

Clive — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:59:31 GMT

Hi,

I'd like to know if "those" is too formal for everyday conversations compared to "the ones". I'm sure both forms are ok nad means the same, but I'd like to hear an opinion in terms of register. 'Those' does raise the register a little, but it's ceratinly not too formal for everyday use. Ah, by the way, from an American English point of view, as always (British English points of view are allowed, anyway " src="/emoticons/emotion-4.gif">)

[Those/the ones] who keep on spamming here should be banned.
I wanted to thank all [those/the ones] who helped me improve my English.
Santa Claus is only going to bring gifts to [those/the ones] who behave well!

In everyday English, instead of either 'those' or 'the ones', you'd often just hear 'people who . . . ', or sometimes 'those people who . . .'.

Best wishes, Clive