http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aGreat+BritainSearch results for 'tag:Great Britain' matching tag 'Great Britain'en-USXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/TelegraphSentWrongMessageTroops/lzxhx/post.htmMon, 19 Oct 2009 21:25:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:947475anonymousI'm an English teacher, and I am looking for the infamous telegraph-gone-wrong between troops stationed in (Britain, I believe) and their commander stationed elsewhere. The message contained one wrong punctuation mark, and the troops either attacked when they weren't supposed to or didn't when he wanted them to. Any ideas on how to find this? Thanks!http://www.englishforums.com/English/EnglishNames/lzgbh/post.htm#945888Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:55:56 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:945888emmeladelynIt works both ways: some first names can be used as surnames and some surnames are used as first names. As a Brit, I'd say that it's a little cultural. I have the impression that a lot of names that are only surnames in Britain are also first names in the US and would sound strange as first names in Great Britain.http://www.englishforums.com/English/NonNativeSpeakersAccent-Issue/kjqcd/post.htm#932277Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:29:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:932277anonymousMay I know more about the Spanish English in Britain? How does the English spoken by Spaniard changed when they arrive in Britain?http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowBritishEnglish/lcjlm/post.htm#931433Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:44:56 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:931433anonymousBasically, people tell time with pretty much the same way in the US as it is in Britain. If you are having high tea in London and someone asked you what time it was, you may either say: "quarter past 3 " or simply "it's 3:15". We could say: "half past 3" or "3:30" If you are listening traffice report on the radio, the news anchor ma say: "it's half past the hour".http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveToAndGotTo/jzndk/post.htm#925207Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:28:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:925207anonymousIn certain parts of Britain (e.g. Scotland, but maybe others), "I got to go" has an entirely different meaning: "I was permitted to go" or "I was given the opportunity to go". Similarly "Did you get to go?" means "were you given the opportunity/permission to go?"; I have even heard this abbrevated to "He'll no' get" meaning "he will not be able to go". etc. So the distinction between "I've got to go" (I must go) and "I got to go" (I was able to go) is in the audible presence of the 'v' sound after "I". I don't think you would hear "I got to go" at all in England, but you would hear "I ('ve)...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ShouldCommaConjunction/lbvvm/post.htmFri, 02 Oct 2009 06:03:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:924880hongkieI think normally we do not put a comma before the conjunction "and". An English teacher here change someone's sentence into I studied in Britain for five years, and obtained my Bachelor Degree (International Journalism) in 2008. Should we remove the comma? Thank you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileVsWhilst/4/vrpm/Post.htm#924755Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:47:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:924755anonymousAmerican-English was British-English, except that it was altered significantly by all of the various influences (immigrants/languages from other countries) that learned to speak it in America. Everyone in the UK knows how to communicate in English and sure there are different dialects. However, in America, immigrants were learning english from immigrants...now guess what happened? That's actually a pretty racist/prejudicial way of putting things. It's also historically inaccurate in the extreme. The differences in orthography (spelling) and grammar between American and British English are not the result of "corruption by immigrants" or any other such nonsense. Some orthographic differences are the result of fiat --...http://www.englishforums.com/English/LordOfTheFliesChapter13/lrhbj/post.htmMon, 28 Sep 2009 20:43:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920780anonymousHey everyone ;) This is for my English GCSE coursework, it's basically what happens after the end of Lord of the flies. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Sorry it's a bit long. :) Ralph was standing on the deck of the ship as it moved further and further away from the island, watching the sinister silhouette of the island disappear into the thin line that was the horizon. It was now nearly twilight; the sky tinged with purple, the clouds speckled with pink. The setting sun set the sky ablaze with fiery reds and orange, a stark contrast to the quiet, unassuming navy of the still ocean. It held a promise of better things to come. Ralph looked at the still-smoking island, barely able to suppress the shiver...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HolyCows/kqndd/post.htm#917915Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:57:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:917915john hallThe Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor (author of ‘The Great Indian Novel’) was in the eye ... never be a reference to actual individuals. What does the group feel could be the possible connotations of this phrase? In British English I think holy cows would be "ideas which were sacrosanct" rather than referring to people. But it might be different in India. John Hall "Do you have cornflakes in America?" "Well, actually, they're American." "So what brings you to Britain then if you have cornflakes already?" Bill Bryson: "Notes from a Small Island"http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowNikePronouncedBritain/kqrlq/post.htm#916044Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:08:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:916044cliveHi, Have a look here. http://www.englishforums.com/English/Nike/3/vdnw/Post.htm Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SynopsisConstitutionDay/kxwgl/post.htmThu, 17 Sep 2009 23:16:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:906417kyorochanMy college had Constitution Day on Sep 16th, and I've assigned to write a synopsis for the day. I wrote and correct the numeric usage in the synopsis, but I still do not have a confidence with what I wrote. For example, I usually make SV mistakes and article mistakes. Could you please tell me which is not good? Thank you!! I reapply appreciate your help. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted by the Continental Congress. In 1787, delegates wanted to create a new form of government, which was strong and could respond effectively. On September 17, 1787, fifty-five delegates attended the Constitutional Convention in Liberty Hall, Philadelphia and thirty-nine...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveYouEverHeardThis/kkzzm/post.htm#887148Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:04:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:887148cliveHi, I must admit I´m not a good tango dancer, but my brother is a tango teacher. So am I. It is strange to find someone abroad who dances tango... Where are you from? Ireland / Britain / Canada Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowsEnglishPronunciation/khkcm/post.htmSun, 23 Aug 2009 19:46:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:872537punkybrewsterI thought this was a fun and interesting find: a poem written by Dr. Gerard Nolst Trenité called "The Chaos", which demonstrates many of the peculiarities of English spelling. Apparently, if you can correctly pronounce every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world. Here we go > Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Susy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain....http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileVsWhilst/3/vrpm/Post.htm#869300Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:03:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:869300anonymousEither way, language evolves with time. There has been much of a debate over which English is the peoper English: the British or the American English? Commonwealth nations learn British English and would tend to favour (favor) the British language as supposedly Britain is where English Language originates from and the natives speak a better English as compared to other form of English(es) worldwide. However, I strongly believe that there's no such a thing like proper English. Even the British English has drastically evolved from the 'Olde' English to Chaucerean English, then Shakespearean, Victorian to our modern English, which that too is ever changing. So, which of all these British English(es) is the 'real' one?...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SpeakerInvitationLetter/jxjzr/post.htm#865397Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:08:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:865397anonymousWetmartini, I don't know if you received any further comments on your letter. I agree your draft of the letter was much improved over the original. I don't know who your audience of selected experts would be, however. Is English their native language? If they are all native speakers of another language (and English is just a convenient common language), maybe the additional nuance I have included would not be all that helpful. Bearing in mind the above question on the "audience" for your letter, if it were me, I would probably not start with "It gives us great pleasure to inform you that" as that sounds a little foreign (to me) or we might say "stiff" or "old school" (old fashioned). I...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Information/krhwn/post.htm#837446Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:36:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:837446alpheccastarsHere is a problem unrelated unrelevant to grammar. I dream of becoming to become a Chinese teacher in English -speaking countries like America, Britain and so on/ Could anybody of you tell me that whether their people learn Chinese in those countries? Does Is Chinese a compulsory compulsary language there? Do any Chinese speak tell Chinese there? I am sorry for asking these type s of questions, I am really keen on knowing it. Many thanks in advance. Vctory: Yes, in the US, Chinese is taught in some universities as a foreign language. For example, to prepare for a career in the diplomatic corps. It is not compulsory. In the Chinese communities (practically every major city in the US has a Chinese community), some parents...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Information/krhwn/post.htmTue, 28 Jul 2009 14:45:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:837382lucus ongHere is a problem unrelevant to grammar. I dream to become a Chinese teacher in English countries like America, Britain and so on/ Could anybody of you tell me that whether their people learn Chinese in those countries? Does Chinese a compulsary language there? Do any Chinese tell Chinese there? I am sorry for asking these type of questions, I am really keen on knowing it. Many thanks in advance.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Corrections5/2/jxpwk/Post.htm#827775Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:05:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:827775mr wordyIf I tell my friend that "Alice is brushing his teeth before going to the bathroom. " Will he ask me which bathroom are you refer to ? Should we use the word"the" when the listener doesn't know which bathroom we refer to? I understand your confusion. Often if we haven't already mentioned or explained the thing we refer to, then we say "a". But in this case we are describing a very familiar scenario. We assume that the listener realises that Alice is in a house (or similar), and we assume that the listener knows that houses are likely to have bathrooms. So "the bathroom" kind of means "the bathroom that is in the building where Alice is brushing her teeth, that...http://www.englishforums.com/English/LongestNameOfTheCountry/3/cxkw/Post.htm#826702Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:37:07 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:826702anonymousAlso, "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" has 48, the long name of the UKhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/TellingQuarterPastEleven/jxhjw/post.htm#822745Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:42:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:822745mr wordyCould I ask if "a quarter to eleven" a British usage? In speech (especially), I tend not to use "a"; I'd just say, for example, "it's quarter to eleven". In speech (though not so much in writing), the use of "a" feels slightly fussy or old-fashioned to me (though it doesn't leap out as a glaringly odd thing to say). I'm not sure if this is typical of British English speakers or if it's just me, but from memory I think many people in my part of the world omit "a". Apart from the caveat about "a", this is very common usage in Britain.http://www.englishforums.com/English/YouThinkEnglishIsEasy/lczdl/post.htm#930320Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:57:15 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:930320mcDearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it's written.) Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague. But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe. Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and...http://www.englishforums.com/English/BritishPronounciation/jnjxd/post.htm#819316Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:47:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:819316fandorinIt's a question of taste, I suppose, and I would not recommend diving too deep into extinguishing differences and trying to get the perfect accent or received pronunciation which, at last, cannot be attained unless you're living, let say, in Britain or the USA. English has been turning into an international language (if not has become it what has already happened, in my opinion) and mingling with rather big quantities of unpleasant contributors whose aim is only to grasp the basics. I doubt that goal is worth the candles to get a perfect accent, but I'm myself rather fastidious about proper English. And I'm awed by soft pronunciation of Londoners By the way it's more serious trouble not to know one's own...http://www.englishforums.com/English/InTheSummerTheAir/2/jkmrx/Post.htm#813583Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:04:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:813583materinaduszkaThank You everyone! I think I'll choose "to undulate". I'm quite surprised there is no one English verb to describe the phenomenon. In Polish we use it very often and I don't think the temperatures here are considerably higher than in Great Britain - and they are surely lower than in some major parts of the U.S. I think I'll have to do a research on this ;) Take care. Martahttp://www.englishforums.com/English/OneCountryManyVariants/jkhzl/post.htmThu, 02 Jul 2009 08:10:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:802938anonymousMillions of British Standard English speakers use "who" where others might use "whom". Does this mean that there is more than one variant of Standard English at work in Britain?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ExceptAfterRuleEnds/lbvmk/post.htm#925635Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:58:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:925635ronb"I before E except after C and a million other exceptions". But it still helped me spell words correctly. Yep, me too. Pretty long, but kind of amusing apologies to those who have already seen it. English is tough stuff Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it's written.) Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague. But be careful how you speak: Say...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ToRealiseToRealize/2/zvgdq/Post.htm#775884Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:08:46 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:775884yoong liatBoth are correct. M y teacher taught me that "realise" is in the british spelling and "realize" is in the american spelling. You see,I am living in Singapore. And Singapore is once the continent of Britain,so we follow it. In a English examination in Singapore,it is better to use "realise" as it is in the British Dictionary now and then. Your teacher, like many other Singaporean teachers, is behind time. Refer to the latest BrE Dictionary and you will fine 'realize' has now been accepted by the British. From Collins Cobuild Dictionary realize in BRIT, also use realise Anon wrote: In a an English examination in Singapore ,it is better to use "realise" as it is in the British...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ToRealiseToRealize/2/zvgdq/Post.htm#774376Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:26:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:774376anonymousBoth are correct. My teacher taught me that "realise" is in the british spelling and "realize" is in the american spelling. You see,I am living in Singapore. And Singapore is once the continent of Britain,so we follow it. In a English examination in Singapore,it is better to use "realise" as it is in the British Dictionary now and then.http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseHelpMeWithTheText/jbrlv/post.htm#757072Sat, 30 May 2009 22:34:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:757072cliveHi, Welcome to the Forum. Here are some edits and improvements. Your writing is not bad. To improve it, you need to work on joining some of your short sentences into more complex ones. eg Instead of 'I have a brother. He is a lawyer.' say 'I have a brother who is a lawyer.' Please note this error that you have made a few times. eg I'm from Britain, I live in Canada. People sometimes write this way informally. However, in strict terms, it is an error. You need to write it as two separate sentences, or join them with a conjunction. eg I'm from Britain. I live in Canda. eg I'm from Britain, and I live in Canada. The error is commonly called a 'run-on...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IfWill/wqlxz/post.htm#751519Wed, 27 May 2009 21:35:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:751519patrick lockerbyIf you will come down here, we can discuss it properly. If you will be late, you should give them a call as soon as you can. If you will be at the meeting, you might wish to prepare lots of PowerPoint slides as the president likes his direct reports to visually explain their plans. If you will interpret for the man, you need to prepare for it by reading a lot of his previous speeches. These all seem to me to have an American flavour. - ( US spelling: 'flavor', UK: 'flavour' ) In Britain, I would expect to hear much more often than . 'will' can refer to: volition, in which case you can substitute 'want to', futurity, in which case you can substitute 'going to'. If you want to come down ......http://www.englishforums.com/English/PrivilegeOnDvdAtLast/kqhvr/post.htmSat, 23 May 2009 12:12:55 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:915909mcI read that Peter Watkins' film "Privilege" has been released on DVD. It got *very* limited release when it was made, and practtically no air play. Well worth seeing out. A prescient film for its time. http://www.mnsi.net/~pwatkins/privilege.htm"In 1996, following the collapse of a film which I hoped to develop with Albert Finneys production company, on the 1916 Easter uprising in Dublin, I was approached by John Heyman, a British artists agent, to make a film based on an original screenplay by Johnny Speight, which dealt with the influence of Steven Shorter, a pop star in the 1960s. American novelist Norman Bognor and I adapted the script, which we retitled Privilege, to emphasize the significance of Steven Shorter as...http://www.englishforums.com/English/JuniorAfterProperName/wxxmv/post.htm#741211Thu, 21 May 2009 15:19:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:741211cliveHi, I would like to know the proper way to include a Medical Doctor reference as well as a Junior after a proper name. John Smith, Jr. M.D. John Smith, Jr., M.D. or Dr. John Smith, Jr.? I have forgotten all of my english rules from the 5th grade. I'm sure there are 'rules' for this kind of thing, but in my whole life I have never had to deal with such a case. If I had to, I'd probably choose Dr. John Smith, Jr. However, I'd only say this if John Smith Senior were also a doctor, since otherwise the term 'Dr.' would serve to distinguish between the two men. To me, this use of Junior/Senior seems very much an aspect of American culture. In my experience, it's not...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IeltsGeneralTrainingWritingTask-2/wlpnn/post.htmTue, 12 May 2009 13:43:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:726780anonymousMillions of people go to English speaking countries like Australia, Britain and America to study in schools, colleges, and university. Why do so many people want to study in English? Why is English such an important international language? Give reasons for your answer. I’m not surprised to hear that many people go to English speaking countries to study in Australia, Britain and America to study in colleges, schools and universities. Actually now days English is very important by all means. For doing higher education, most children plan to study abroad. In this case it is a must that children must have the knowledge of speaking, writing and reading English.In our country too most parents teach they children in English...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IRepudiatePetulantExpostulation/2/wjlqp/Post.htm#718920Wed, 06 May 2009 20:11:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:718920adrenochromeHi Jackson I'll take your question in two parts, as that might be best. 1 I ought to explain that John Prescot used to be a British politician until two years ago. He is rather unpopular, as is the whole government at the moment. Unfortunately, they haven't realised that they're unpopular. Whereever and whenever the government wants to be seen to have a presence and be listening, they send John Prescot. They think he will be an asset, but he angers people and has little success. He is supposedly left wing politically (Socialist) but owns two cars, both Jaguars. He had a sexual affair with his secretary, speaks as clearly as George W (you wouldn't believe he was born and lived in Britain) and had a punch...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheNearAbsenceTermSpokenGrammar/2/whnkc/Post.htm#715221Mon, 04 May 2009 18:08:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:715221adrenochromeHi Mr Pedantic In the Commonwealth, the term Standard English is used to mean the English used in Britain, as opposed to American English, which is more commonly used in Asia (and, of course, the US). Sorry for any misunderstanding my use of this term may have caused.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Palestine/4/gpgxc/Post.htm#714808Mon, 04 May 2009 13:02:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:714808adrenochromeYou really should read the whole piece. Historically, Britain caused the present situation in the Middle East. This does not mean that I hate my country, it just means that I am educated. Why is it that so many Americans funded the IRA, a communist organisation, whilst claiming to be anti-Communist? Thousands of Brits already live and work in Iran. They are free to practise Christianity, to come and go as they like, and to return to Britain for visits whenever they like. Where do I say that I hate the West - I love the UK, France, Germany, Spain etc. I read their literature, teach English because I'm proud of my own language. In fact, if you could read, you would see how highly I speak of Rt Hon G Kaufman, my local...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatReadingHeritagePupils2015/3/wgkdr/Post.htm#714782Mon, 04 May 2009 12:43:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:714782adrenochromeI disagree Mr Pedantic. This may be that I teach Business English, and that despite attempting to appear differently, a Masonic handshake, old school tie or well placed literary phrase will still open certain doors to an individual, that would be quietly but firmly closed to others. The study of English in solitude is a relatively pointless activity, as is the study of any single subject. The overall ambition should be to facilitate a well rounded education. Dickens, for example, is not the greatest Victorian writer and many of his stories are boring. However, Dickens wrote so that the wealthy elite of London society would be made aware of the extreme hardships of the working classes. It was during his time that the Trade...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Palestine/3/gpgxc/Post.htm#713324Sun, 03 May 2009 16:26:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:713324adrenochromeBeing British, I have thought long and hard for many years about the problems in the Middle East, not least because it is the British government that caused these problems. Prior to the First World War (the 1914-1918 Great War) Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace in Palestine. All were relatively integrated and all were Palestinians. In 1919, Britain started to grant property and rights to European Jews to move to Palestine. These Jews changed the balance in Palestine, and were not Palestinians, so did not understand the area, its people nor its ways. They tended to ghettoise themselves, and did not mix with Palestinian Jews. In the West, and particularly America, it is portrayed through the media that Islam has always...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SheepInNewZealand/wgzqw/post.htmMon, 20 Apr 2009 08:25:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:699371anonymousWhen Irish writer George Bernard Shaw visited New Zealand in the 1930s, a reporter asked what he thought about the place. Shaw replied: "too many sheep". In New Zealand, there are 40 million sheep. The number is 10 times as many as that of the people in the country. So there are a lot of jokes about New Zealand and sheep. Since there are so many sheep, for many years, New Zealand sent meat and wool to countries like Britain. Agriculture has become less important recently. Most New Zealanders live in cities, and only a small number still run sheep farms. New Zealand is a beautiful place, with its rivers, mountains and endless green plains. Did you watch the Lord of the Rings films? They were all made in New Zealand. The movies...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AGo/2/wgrwl/Post.htm#698152Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:57:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:698152adrenochromeMr Micawber I would have thought that you would comprehend that English is the language of England, not Britain nor the United Kingdom. If the latter applied the language would be called British or United Kingdomesque! Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own tongues. Welsh is once again commonly taught in schools in Wales and my own grandmother spoke Welsh fluently. She also watched television which was broadcast in Welsh, as it continues to be broadcast today. The Scottish of the highlands and islands still commonly speak Gaellic, though the Sassenachs (lowlanders) have adopted English. In Northern Ireland, the Catholic community kept Celtic alive and the Protestants often speak Gaellic as...http://www.englishforums.com/English/RandomJokes/wvbxp/post.htm#696107Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:38:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:696107adrenochromeAn Englishman flies to Australia and arrives at the security desk. "Do you have any alcohol, food or explosives in your bag, sir?" asks the guard. "Absolutely not," responds the Englishman "Are you a member of any political or terrorist organisations, sir," continues the guard "Definitely not," retorts the Englishman "Finally, sir. Do you have a criminal record?" "By God, man. I didn't know you still needed one!" exclaimed the English gent. Alternatively, when the great cricketer Donald Bradman was selected to sail to England to represent Australia, his family held a party for him. His elderly grandmother was there and, upon hearing that her grandson was coming to England,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SourceMaterial/wzljc/post.htmThu, 09 Apr 2009 18:55:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:696067adrenochromeThis posting reflects an unfortunate trend in Britain, the 'dumbing down' of the media. I am trying to locate a body of either spoken or written text regarding banking that includes 'markers of coherence', such as furthermore, consequently, however. I have tried my usual sources, The Times, The Guardian, The BBC, but find that even these once notable of English language sources refuse to write or speak in more than short sentences, lacking substance and flow. Can anyone please recommend any more verbose sources?http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeGoodFilms/wvkxh/post.htm#695980Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:23:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:695980adrenochromeHi Jeeza The first question you mut ask yourself is whether you want to speak British English or American English. I'm not a big fan of Hollywood, so I'll presume that you'd like to speak like an Englishman from what we term the 'Home Counties' (this is the area just north of London where bankers live). If so, I would recommend some older films (many modern British films contain strong regional accents, particularly Cockney in Guy Richie movies). Try 'The Third Man', directed by Carol Reed and starring Orson Welles (a spy thriller set in Vienna in the late 1940s) 'Brazil', directed by Terry Gilliam (ex-Monty Python comedy team) (a comic take on the book 1984) '1984' and 'Scandal' both...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodCopBadCopVeryBadCop/kxjlw/post.htmTue, 31 Mar 2009 15:58:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:906788mcGood cop, bad cop, very bad cop TV show The Wire portrays police, politicians and lawyers working on the wrong side of the law. It's a break from the norm, says dramatist GF Newman, whose own attempt at showing all sides of the story in 1970s Britain caused uproar. But cop shows still have a long way to come. When I wrote the original Law and Order in the late 1970s there was no model in police drama that showed policemen as other than heroic. Troy Kennedy Martin had previously portrayed them as stressed and human in Z-Cars, but nonetheless getting their man. Nothing in television police drama ever revealed the criminal's viewpoint. Just post-Dixon of Dock Green, as Law and Order was, all criminals were viewed as a sub-human...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnInventionGlasses/wvwkx/post.htmTue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:690316anonymousYou are near-sighted. You wear glasses. You have to go to opticians to have your lenses changed. Josh Silver, a professor of physics at Oxford University, may be able to help you out. He has invented a pair of special glasses. Wearers can correct their vision by adjusting the lens themselves. The glasses are based on a simple principle: The fatter a lens, the more powerful it becomes. Inside the plastic lenses are two clear bags filled with fluid. The wearer can add or reduce the amount of fluid with a syringe. It changes the power of the lens. The invention may help near-sighted people in the developing world greatly. In Britain there is one optometrist for every 4,500 people. In sub-Saharan Africa the ratio is 1:1,000,000. So far,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/MotivationLetter/wvgml/post.htmMon, 23 Mar 2009 02:04:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:689769jdanielsHello, I wrote this letter for international studies..I'd be very thankful if somebody could correct grammar and style in this letter. Thank you in advance :) I have always been fascinated about computer impact in our daily life. In this twenty first century no business organization can imagine its existance without computer related systems. I believe that as years go by this impact will become more and more significant not only in business organizations but also in everyone‘s life. I am convinced this degree would provide me with all the necessary information and skills I need to build an attractive career opportunity in my life and become a really competent specialist in computer science. I have decided to relate my life with...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoingMeansGoingSleepRight/wdnmh/post.htm#686888Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:33:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:686888cliveHi, 1 : "What subject exam did you take today" "I took English exam today". correct? No. Here's a common way to say this. Q - What exam did you have today? A - English. 2 : "If you lose your first love,just imagine that you have lost everything". correct? It's correct English. But do you need to say 'just imagine that' ? 3 : "I'm going to kip" means that 'I'm going to sleep'. right? In Britain, it means that. In the USA, I think most people would not understand what you are saying. Best wshes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferentFromThan/wdkcp/post.htm#685904Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:08:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:685904cool breezeThe only thing people agree on seems to be that different from is correct. As Kooyeen said, different than is common in the USA. Different to is used in Britain. This is what the Random House Unabridged Dictionary says about different : — Usage. Although it is frequently claimed that DIFFERENT should be followed only by FROM, not by THAN, in actual usage both words occur and have for at least 300 years. FROM is more common today in introducing a phrase, but THAN is also used: New York speech is different from (or than ) that of Chicago. THAN is used to introduce a clause: The stream followed a different course than the map showed. In sentences of this type, FROM is sometimes used instead of THAN; when it is, more words...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ForgotOrForgotten/2/zgwxx/Post.htm#685847Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:53:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:685847anonymousWhilst both 'gotten' and 'forgotten' are Americanisms in one sense, the latter is used with increasing frequency in post-WW2 Britain, in which American language has had a stronger influence. It is a falsehood that 'Americanisms' are new additions or changes to the English language. Some are, but what you have to understand about 'gotten' and 'forgotten' is not that America introduced them: it did not. Britain stopped using them. American English is based upon the various, particular dialects of the periods in which settlers left Britain for America, and it preserves many things that fell out of use in Britain. This is the case with 'gotten', which is an inflected form of the verb that...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TwoDialectsForMe/2/wdbpn/Post.htm#685468Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:58:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:685468forbesYou are right that it is unwise to try and adopt a specific accent such as a Bronx accent without living in the right area. You say that you want an accent that is pleasant to listen to; that is very subjective. The fact is that, at least in Britain - I cannot speak for the US or any other English speaking areas - the way you speak goes a long way to pigeonholing you. If you speak with a foreign accent you will not be pigeonholed - except as a foreigner.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheEnglishLanguages/wchpl/post.htm#685127Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:56:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:685127forbesAnyone who sets out to classify anything soon finds that not everything fits into the neat categories he has devised. Whilst zoologists and botanists do not exactly have an easy time (zoologists thought they had mammals sorted until they learned about the duck billed platypus) the classification of languages at certain levels is tricky because there are not necessarily discrete entities. Linguists like to talk about dialect continua. They say things like: "There are only dialects". Even so, there comes a point where there is a break in the continuum. "Dutch" and "German" are both south Germanic languages and there is a continuum of dialects between them so that at one level it is difficult to say that...