British/American comparison stylebook/grammar

Candy   Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:59 am GMT
<<Not any longer Candy. ;P

We will get our hands on the world cup mate. Just remember to give the old bugger a last polish before handing it over to us please. We don't want to have banger and marsh stains on it once we receive it. >>

How about fish and chip stains? :-) Anyway, see you in 2007! :)

<<Candy, that's interesting because I'm sure I've heard an English cricket commentator alongside his Australian counterparts announcing that "England has won the toss and has sent Australia into bat", though he may have been conforming to the local way of speaking while here. But funnily 'England ARE world champions in rugby' looks right. >>

That's weird, but 'England has won the toss' doesn't sound that wrong to me - I think I've heard it too - though personally I'd always prefer 'England have declared (or whatever)', and that's what you'd usually hear.
Uriel   Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:07 am GMT
<<Actually both forms look valid for any dialect: I've got a car/I have a Ford Escort. I got a car means I recently acquired one.>>

I would agree.
Thommo   Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:50 am GMT
The collective noun situation is an area in which AuE most differs with present UK usage, although journalese and the absence of the teaching of grammar in recent years has tended to erode the difference.

Nevertheless, it is still extremely rare in Australia to hear or see "England have" or "Australia have", as both the names of countries and the teams which represent them are considered singular nouns.

So it would have been correct at the time to say "England has just managed to win the Rugby Union World Cup with a last-minute field-goal" and "Australia was robbed".
Guest   Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:47 am GMT
'The Australian public HAVE voted John Howard into parliament for a fourth term.'

'The Australian public HAS voted John Howard into parliament for a fourth term.'

OR

'The Australian public HAVE voted John Howard ON TO parliament for a fourth term.'

'The Australian public HAS voted John Howard ON TO parliament for a fourth term.'

Which one/s are correct and please state where you are from.
Guest   Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:19 am GMT
'The Australian public' isn't exactly a sports team.
Damian   Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:48 am GMT
***Which one/s are correct***

'The Australian public HAVE voted

This is the correct form. "Public" refers to a whole lot of people, millions of individuals, so it takes a plural form. The same goes for the word "people". After all, you wouldn't say "the Australian people has voted" would you? That doesn't even sound right.

***and please state where you are from***


Scotland, UK
Guest   Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:58 pm GMT
How about the part 'On to/into parliament' which one would you use?
Guest   Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:34 pm GMT
In the United States, one would say "The Australian public HAS voted." "Have" is wrong.
Lazar   Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:46 pm GMT
In answer to Guest's question: "The Australian public HAS voted John Howard into parliament for a fourth term."; central Massachusetts, US.

Large collective singular nouns, like "public", take singular verbal forms in American English and plural verbal forms in British English.
Turn it up   Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:07 am GMT
In Australia I'm positive most people would say "The Australian public HAS voted..." as I would. The other option doesn't sit well with me.

"How about the part 'On to/into parliament' which one would you use?"

Always "into parliament". I don't think you'll find any disagreement there.
Stone the crows   Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:01 am GMT
"In the United States, one would say "The Australian public HAS voted." "Have" is wrong."

Agree.

"In Australia I'm positive most people would say "The Australian public HAS voted..." as I would."

Agree.

"Large collective singular nouns, like "public", take singular verbal forms in American English and plural verbal forms in British English."

Is that actually taught in the UK these days, or has it simply become the norm and so thought to be correct?
Candy   Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:14 am GMT
<<"Large collective singular nouns, like "public", take singular verbal forms in American English and plural verbal forms in British English."

Is that actually taught in the UK these days, or has it simply become the norm and so thought to be correct? >>

It's not 'thought' to be correct, it IS correct. I'm sure that's how I learned it at school, and that's the way just about everybody in the UK would say it. I would NEVER say 'the public has voted' - it sounds 'off' to my British ears!
Guest   Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:34 am GMT
Ever read Fowler, Candy? It's certainly not how I learnt it at school.
Ash (UK)   Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:03 pm GMT
Actually, the most infuriating one for me is:

US: "Write me!"
GB: "Write to me!"

¬_¬``

Never goes down very well...is this standard 'American'? (because of course only English people speak English :P) Or is this just informal stuff that young kids say?

Ash.
Guest   Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:37 am GMT
Bite me.