Re: [NTLK] OT - Do you speak BBC English?

My 'problem' with English is that both my parents were teachers, and
growing up we were corrected for incorrect usage. So when I got to
school I could speak and write correctly, but I had no idea -why-,
other than "Because that's what mom and dad said." This caused me no
end of problems with French class, where the teacher seemed to feel
that I ought to know what the rules were in English so I could apply
them to French!

re: mis-use of the language (as seen from the USA side of the world),
my favorite slips involve:

A and AN-- the rule is--

If the word following A or AN begins with the =sound= of a vowel, you use AN.
If the word following A or AN begins with the =sound= of a consonant,
you use A.

So it's A hospital, and A historic. Unless you're British and drop
the 'h'-- "An 'istoric"
        A User
        AN Undertaker
        AN 'H' 'E' 'L' 'L' of a time (spelled out-loud)
        A Hell of a time (as a single word)

I won't even begin with the apostrophe! ("Soda's for sale...")

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.nospam.com

ps-- just curious-- I've wondered for years why the British are not
taken to THE hospital, but are taken "to hospital."

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Received on Sun Sep 2 12:47:07 2007