Questions tagged [british-english]
This tag is for questions related to English as spoken in Great Britain, and sometimes Ireland.
1,968
questions
0
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4answers
79 views
Items used to cheat in exams
Are there English words used to describe the materials used to cheat in an examination? If yes, please I need some examples.
-1
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0answers
41 views
How to send a professional email asking for an update in English? [closed]
I usually say something like
Hi,
Any update on xyz?
Thanks.
From English language and professional standpoint is this good enough?
I'm talking about sending email to people/department in a ...
0
votes
3answers
83 views
Where and when did the practice of using two spaces in the beginning of each sentence start, and is it still recommended?
For many years (decades at this point), I've noticed that, at least in plaintext environments, "serious" and/or "old-timer" people seem to always type like this:
This is a sentence. And here comes ...
1
vote
2answers
26 views
Tag questions following that-clauses
Can you explain the difference between the tag questions in these two sentences, only one referencing the initial agent?
John thinks I will help them with that work, doesn't he?
I think everybody ...
-1
votes
2answers
67 views
I lived in London.(British Usage)/ I lived on America.(American Usage)-Is this right? [closed]
I want to know the difference of "lived in (a country)" and "lived on ( a country)"
0
votes
1answer
34 views
Present Perfect and Past Simple in the this statement
I have a doubt concerning the following statement. Talking about the story of a family, which of the following statements is correct:
My aunt has found a new job in Melbourne so they moved there.
My ...
-1
votes
1answer
55 views
Can “pip” mean picture or icon in British English?
I am playing a British game and I'm having trouble exactly understanding some of the words used in the dialogs!
from "godus" game
They seem to use the word "pip" to mean "graphic" or "icon", but I ...
-1
votes
1answer
54 views
Announcement for foreign people in a library (non English-speaking country)
This announcement is made before closure time in a library (latin country):
"XYZ is closing in fifteen minutes. Those users who have to register loans or return in items are kindly requested to go to ...
0
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0answers
24 views
“whose” vs “that its” in English [migrated]
I'm an English learner and today I faced a question where I was supposed to fill in the missing blank.
The question was:
The large family _____ house had been destroyed by the storm was invited to ...
1
vote
2answers
117 views
The British equivalent of a 'Home run' in terms of describing a successful outcome
I am looking for some examples of the British equivalent of the American term 'Home run', originally relating to baseball but used to describe an overall successful and highly favourable result.
For ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
He was studying or he studied? [closed]
Is it correct to say "Jimmy learned how to rock climb when he was studying at Carleton College" or is it better to say "Jimmy learned how to rock climb when he studied at Carleton College"?
1
vote
2answers
97 views
Why do americans say “Nice to meet you” just when they meet someone, shouldn't it be said while ending the conversation?
In movies and TV series, I have seen Americans saying "Nice to meet you" when they meet someone. Its really weird, why would you say that in the beginning and not while ending the conversation? You ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
What's a friendlier way of asking “What are your reasons for having multiple CVs?”
First-time poster here. I'm putting together a survey with the goal of finding out more about our users cv management. The main question I want to ask is "What are your reasons for using multiple CVs?"...
0
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0answers
14 views
Apostrophes in Grammar [duplicate]
In the sentence- "Jessie's and Nora's dogs are lovely".
Do we really have to put apostrophes on both the names?
1
vote
1answer
34 views
Does 'throwback' require an indefinite article?
Should it be ‘a cheeky little throwback’ or just ‘cheeky little throwback’
Any help would be appreciated
1
vote
2answers
65 views
'Now stands' or 'now stand'
Should it be...
"To the south now stand a car park and a cruise ship terminal"
OR
"To the sound now stands a car park and a cruise ship terminal"
2
votes
0answers
60 views
What is the most common allophone of r after θ in British English, like in [θri:]?
I ask because post-alveolar r could not be used after dental θ. My intuition tells me that it should be alveolar r, but I have not found on the Internet any confirmation for it.
0
votes
1answer
74 views
What are the individual rooms at a cinema called in British English?
In the US, we call the place we go to watch movies a "movie theater" and then if I were walking into one of the large rooms with the movie, I'd call it either the screen or the theater. For example, ...
2
votes
2answers
60 views
“What B” as a shortening of “What word starting with the letter B”
In this Weakest Link episode, there were a few questions of the following form.
(12:09) What B was the name of the first lunatic asylum in Europe and is also a slang word meaning chaos? Bedlam.
...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
What does 'as it was' meaning?
What does it mean if someone says..."as it was", in a sentence like
"I won't have enough time to stop and then get to the office, as it was I only managed about 10 minutes there which clearly isn't ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Combining Access request /revoke in one line [or is it better to split for clarity purposes]
Dear English language experts,
I am writing to you from the perspective of an end user, who submits IT requests every now and then. When a request needs to be submitted, there is a special web form ...
2
votes
1answer
148 views
BrE equivalent of “taking a raincheck”
Is there a British equivalent of "taking a raincheck"?
It would be very useful to have a phrase that I can say to British people which means "I need to cancel and I'd like to reschedule but I can't ...
0
votes
4answers
97 views
She is his would be/ wife to be
In India there is a tendency to call a woman or a man as would be in the sense of his future wife or her future husband.
She is his would be ( wife)
He is ...
-2
votes
1answer
39 views
Adjective ed ending
"She was feeling bored yesterday"
Is that sentence correct?
What her boredom was in progress at that time?
0
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0answers
24 views
Correct use of Pronoun [duplicate]
Consider the following sentences-
1- He is taller than me.
2- He is taller than i am.
Which one is grammatically correct and acceptable in various English language exams?
(I've read about it in ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Does or Do? (This is a dissertation’s initial research question) [closed]
How does Russia’s soft and hard power strategies impact on Georgia’s current political, social and economic environment under the rule of the Georgian Dream government?
1
vote
0answers
73 views
The pronunciation of two consecutive O's
I came across such a sentence (‘Cakes and ale: or the skeleton in the cupboard’):
She looked no older than when last I saw her six years before.
And I stumbled over this ‘no older’ reading it ...
2
votes
2answers
180 views
What would be a gender neutral form of address as a highschool teacher? (British English)
In the UK, it's very common for secondary school teachers to be referred to as one of the following:
Sir/Miss
Miss/Mrs/Mr Surname
This would be both when the students are talking about the teacher, ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Auxiliary “do” in questions, sometimes mandatory, sometimes not [duplicate]
I have doubts about the "do" auxiliary in questions, and its use, and what makes it mandatory.
Is it true that "How many XXX have you got?" is wrong?
And why do you have to put the auxiliary here, I'...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
should I use on or from?
The exam will start (on 2nd of march )
The exam will start ( from 2nd of march )
The exam will be held (from 2nd of march )
Which is right?
2
votes
1answer
106 views
U vs. Non-U words in contemporary British English
The Wikipedia page on U and non-U English describes the nature of these two "sociolects" and gives a number of examples in a table. What I find intriguing is that most of this examination of the ...
0
votes
2answers
58 views
Can I use the past perfect with present perfect in English
Is it correct to to use past perfect with present perfect as below
He has informed me that you had approved his request for a loan.
Please clarify. Thank you.
0
votes
1answer
38 views
“Dog” meaning in old English language [closed]
I read these sentences in "The life of Samuel Johnson":
JOHNSON: You HAVE Lord Kames. Keep him; ha, ha, ha! We don't envy you him. Do you ever see Dr. Robertson?
BOSWELL: Yes, Sir.
JOHNSON: ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
UK equivalent of “stateside”
The term stateside means "in the United States", is there an equivalent word for the UK, or any other country?
Some examples might be: "It feels weird being stateside again." or "I'll be stateside ...
16
votes
3answers
2k views
What’s the British English for “shotgun wedding”?
The expression “shotgun wedding/marriage”, as described in the following link, is an American English one.
Of American-English origin, the phrases shotgun wedding and shotgun marriage denote a ...
3
votes
1answer
43 views
“Animal skin treated” - what does “treated” mean in this context?
The skin of animals like cows, buffaloes, goats, crocodiles, snakes and camels are treated and used as leather to make belts, shoes, bags and purses etc.
Can you please explain the meaning of treated ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Why does the last part of sentence be led by “given …”?
Anyone can help to know why the last part of sentence below could be led by "given ...":
Japan's government wants nuclear power to comprise 20% to 22% of the overall energy mix by 2030, drawing ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
What’s the difference between a reflexive and intensive pronoun?
There are a few types of pronouns, among other there are reflexive and intensive pronouns. Every website I visit, they give me the same examples.
E.g.
Found on Grammar Monster:
• Reflexive ...
0
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0answers
42 views
Correct punctation when two quotations are used in the same sentence (British usage)
Is the following sentence correctly punctuated for British English usage:
I said, 'It's important to learn grammar', and he said, 'I promise I will'.
0
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0answers
17 views
Capitalisation in sentences [duplicate]
In the following sentence, should the designations be typed in capital letters?
These reports will go to the store manager and district manager as well.
0
votes
2answers
87 views
“In the Figure 1 (below)” or “in Figure 1 (below)”
I have a stupid question about the use of the word "Figure".
Do we say "In Figure below" or "In the Figure below".
Thanks
Omer
0
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0answers
119 views
Is using “short of something” to express “missing/lacking something” grammatical?
I have heard two conflicting opinions on the following:
They want to play football but they are short of one man.
The intended meaning was that they were missing one player.
Now, a colleague from ...
0
votes
0answers
12 views
“Lived” V/S “had been living” [duplicate]
I "lived/had been living" in chennai for ten years when i was a child
0
votes
1answer
49 views
“To do as he did” vs. “to do as he had done”
He advised me/ to do as he did/ but I did not pay any attention/ to his advice. /(No error)
The answer is no error , but I think the sentence should say "to do as he had done". Why is "as he did" ...
1
vote
1answer
178 views
Meaning of “Right Out” in Context [closed]
A particularly quotable 1970s British comedy film includes the following pseudo-old-english instructions for dispatching a troublesome foe:
First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou ...
-3
votes
3answers
89 views
British use of a/an before words that begin with a consonant
I've noticed that during conversations on this website of whether to use "a" or "an" before words like "history" and "hypothesis" (words that begin with a consonant), those who are British tend to ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
How does the pitch change through the phrase “a gorgeous young model”?
When one pronounces the phrase
a gorgeous young model
in a very normal way (without any special stress to emphasize a specific meaning), which word will be said in the highest pitch, which word ...
3
votes
1answer
181 views
Van Gogh goes or Van Gogh coughs? Is there a commonly accepted British English pronunciation?
The question changed during the formulation from
What is the correct 'British English' pronunciation of Van Gogh?
to
Is there such a thing as a 'correct' English pronunciation of a Dutch
...
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votes
1answer
40 views
Usage of Comma to remove ambiguity
Soon after the military operations, an 11 member committee headed by Mr. ABC was set up to suggest measures that would enhance the combat capability of the armed forces and to also, balance defence ...
5
votes
1answer
142 views
Use of “the ill” vs. “the sick”
I was struck by the use of "the ill" as a noun phrase in a sentence from a question asked yesterday: "I'm going to be a doctor. I'm going to help the ill." For some reason, I felt that "the sick" ...
