No Periods in British Written English!
Feb 23rd, 2017, 04:32 AM
#41
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
northie:
"different than" isn't a difference between British and American English. It's just bad American English. But most Americans use it, nonetheless.
The subjunctive is dying, ssanders, but yes, "were" is correct in your sentence above. "was" actually sounds "off" to my ear.
"different than" isn't a difference between British and American English. It's just bad American English. But most Americans use it, nonetheless.
The subjunctive is dying, ssanders, but yes, "were" is correct in your sentence above. "was" actually sounds "off" to my ear.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 05:06 AM
#42
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<Maybe some people in Quebec talk about la fin de semaine. could be. They also say syntoniseur instead of tuner, parc d estaionnement instead of parking and courriel instead of -mail (I love that one, never use it though).>>
There are many anglicisms in Canadian French, but as WoinParis notes, many of the common anglicisms elsewhere are not used here. "Fin de semaine" is universally used in French, "weekend" rarely, "un stationnement" instead of "un parking", "Arrêt" on stop signs, "chandail" for "pull" (sweater), and "magasinage" for "shopping." Many invented computer terms are used in Canada such as "courriel", "pourriel" (spam) and "clavarder" (on-line chat instead of "chatter"). One might buy a "beigne" (donut) or "gomme" (chewing-gum) at "un casse-croûte" not "un snack-bar".
There are also, of course, many French words and expressions used here that differ from those in France, but that's another story.
There are many anglicisms in Canadian French, but as WoinParis notes, many of the common anglicisms elsewhere are not used here. "Fin de semaine" is universally used in French, "weekend" rarely, "un stationnement" instead of "un parking", "Arrêt" on stop signs, "chandail" for "pull" (sweater), and "magasinage" for "shopping." Many invented computer terms are used in Canada such as "courriel", "pourriel" (spam) and "clavarder" (on-line chat instead of "chatter"). One might buy a "beigne" (donut) or "gomme" (chewing-gum) at "un casse-croûte" not "un snack-bar".
There are also, of course, many French words and expressions used here that differ from those in France, but that's another story.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 07:23 AM
#44
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<i>Americans live on Main Street; Brits live in Main Street.</i>
Much more complicated than that.
First: do any Americans live on Main St anyway? Didn't most move to the suburbs a century ago.
Oddly, most people in England who DO have a house with a "High St" address will say they live "on the High St", though for most similar town centre addresses (like "Market St") they'll say "in Market St". I've even heard "on High St": never "in High St"
But many towns have city-centre exceptions. People live ON Holborn, High Holborn, Pall Mall and Piccadilly (the street), though they can have offices in or on them: Buck House is ON The Mall, and there are similar cases in many provincial towns.
Outside town centres, people near me live ON (or sometimes "along") Woodstock Road, and these usages are common in relatively thinly-populated roads named after where the road takes you.
In roads with names like The Ridings, people almost always live on them, wherever they are.
The rule for when an institution (like a court or railway station) is on or in, say, Corporation St is so complicated I don't think it can be called a rule
Much more complicated than that.
First: do any Americans live on Main St anyway? Didn't most move to the suburbs a century ago.
Oddly, most people in England who DO have a house with a "High St" address will say they live "on the High St", though for most similar town centre addresses (like "Market St") they'll say "in Market St". I've even heard "on High St": never "in High St"
But many towns have city-centre exceptions. People live ON Holborn, High Holborn, Pall Mall and Piccadilly (the street), though they can have offices in or on them: Buck House is ON The Mall, and there are similar cases in many provincial towns.
Outside town centres, people near me live ON (or sometimes "along") Woodstock Road, and these usages are common in relatively thinly-populated roads named after where the road takes you.
In roads with names like The Ridings, people almost always live on them, wherever they are.
The rule for when an institution (like a court or railway station) is on or in, say, Corporation St is so complicated I don't think it can be called a rule
Feb 23rd, 2017, 07:31 AM
#45
"First: do any Americans live on Main St anyway? Didn't most move to the suburbs a century ago."
Main Streets are more likely to be found in small towns than large cities. Many suburbs are small towns that have become suburbs. Lots of people live on various Main Streets in my area, which was semi-rural when we moved here but has become suburban in the intervening forty years.
Main Streets are more likely to be found in small towns than large cities. Many suburbs are small towns that have become suburbs. Lots of people live on various Main Streets in my area, which was semi-rural when we moved here but has become suburban in the intervening forty years.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 07:55 AM
#46
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Flann...wow, very complicated, indeed!
Nikki...you are correct that Main Street is common everywhere in the US but less common in large cities.
Market Street is the "main street" in the original Philadelphia plan (near my home town)...and in San Francisco as well I believe (but not sure)...but we generally say, "live on..." regardless of what kind of street it is, what it's name is, or what kind of building it is.
However, if we are giving the address or intersection, it is different:
I live <strong>on</strong> 61st Street
I live <strong>at</strong> 14 North 61st Street
And either of these is normal when using an intersection:
I live <strong>on</strong> the corner of 61st and Market
I live <strong>at</strong> the corner of 61st and Market
ssander
Nikki...you are correct that Main Street is common everywhere in the US but less common in large cities.
Market Street is the "main street" in the original Philadelphia plan (near my home town)...and in San Francisco as well I believe (but not sure)...but we generally say, "live on..." regardless of what kind of street it is, what it's name is, or what kind of building it is.
However, if we are giving the address or intersection, it is different:
I live <strong>on</strong> 61st Street
I live <strong>at</strong> 14 North 61st Street
And either of these is normal when using an intersection:
I live <strong>on</strong> the corner of 61st and Market
I live <strong>at</strong> the corner of 61st and Market
ssander
Feb 23rd, 2017, 09:16 AM
#47
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,923
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Of course, sadly, these days living "on" a street has additional connotations....
And there's another complication, that our different histories of urban development make it essential for us to know whether we're talking about X Street, X Avenue or Mews or Road or Square, or X the city up the other end of the country.
And there's another complication, that our different histories of urban development make it essential for us to know whether we're talking about X Street, X Avenue or Mews or Road or Square, or X the city up the other end of the country.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 09:46 AM
#49
Oddly, most people in England who DO have a house with a "High St" address will say they live "on the High St", though for most similar town centre addresses (like "Market St") they'll say "in Market St". I've even heard "on High St": never "in High St">>
in Cornwall they live in Fore Street - virtually every town and village has a street with that name.
in Cornwall they live in Fore Street - virtually every town and village has a street with that name.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 11:31 AM
#51
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I was at school we had history periods, science periods etc. That was when two lessons on the same subject were added back to back.
Ann, but one would say the shop can be found in the High Street. and at the same time one could say the shop is on the high street.
Fore Street in virtually every town and Village? Maybe read this interesting fact.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fore_Street
I thought it would have had something to do with the Foreshore.
Ann, but one would say the shop can be found in the High Street. and at the same time one could say the shop is on the high street.
Fore Street in virtually every town and Village? Maybe read this interesting fact.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fore_Street
I thought it would have had something to do with the Foreshore.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 11:37 AM
#52
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just whizzing back to the "take a coke" conversation...we certainly don't say that in English but correct me if I'm wrong ..I was taught in french to say "Je vais prendre whatever you are wanting at a restaurant. I.e. I am going to take...I hope I've been saying this correctly whilst visiting France.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 12:20 PM
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The ultimate mis use of British terms by Americans is calling Britain "England" - I even heard some Trump diplomat refer to "England" - and he was not talking about the section of the UK called England.
Very very common mistake - often we hear "over in England" or "the English' referring to Britain as a whole.
Very very common mistake - often we hear "over in England" or "the English' referring to Britain as a whole.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 01:07 PM
#56
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
...and speaking more of "take", in the US I have heard both of these:
I'm going to take a shower. (That's how most people I know say it.)
I'm going to get a shower.
Fascinating thread. Language study is soooo cool.
ssander
I'm going to take a shower. (That's how most people I know say it.)
I'm going to get a shower.
Fascinating thread. Language study is soooo cool.
ssander
Feb 23rd, 2017, 01:28 PM
#59
The prevalence of streets named "Fore Street" in Cornwall is due to a survival from the Cornish language -"Forth" = "Street".>>
I didn't know that, ribeirasacra, thank you. So Fore Street means "Street Street" - interesting! Cornish is a funny language: our nearest town is called Redruth - Red means river and Ruth means river so counterintuitively it means River Red, not Red River. the locals call it "Druth anyway so the meaning is then completely lost.
<<I don't know why I hate the word 'vacation' and I also hate seeing 'I train from Pisa to Roma' instead of I'm taking a train.>>
me too, WoinP. you don't say "I'm going to road from London to Bristol" or "plane from Paris to Rome" so why Train? I also prefer railway station to train station but I suppose that's too much to ask.
I didn't know that, ribeirasacra, thank you. So Fore Street means "Street Street" - interesting! Cornish is a funny language: our nearest town is called Redruth - Red means river and Ruth means river so counterintuitively it means River Red, not Red River. the locals call it "Druth anyway so the meaning is then completely lost.
<<I don't know why I hate the word 'vacation' and I also hate seeing 'I train from Pisa to Roma' instead of I'm taking a train.>>
me too, WoinP. you don't say "I'm going to road from London to Bristol" or "plane from Paris to Rome" so why Train? I also prefer railway station to train station but I suppose that's too much to ask.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 01:43 PM
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I also prefer railway station to train station but I suppose that's too much to ask.> Yup!
<I also hate seeing 'I train from Pisa to Roma' instead of I'm taking a train.>>
Many here would say I'm going to by rail or train from Pizza to Rome but I think rarely I'm going to train - folks with English as a 2nd language may say that.
<I also hate seeing 'I train from Pisa to Roma' instead of I'm taking a train.>>
Many here would say I'm going to by rail or train from Pizza to Rome but I think rarely I'm going to train - folks with English as a 2nd language may say that.
