Questions tagged [british-english]
This tag is for questions related to English as used in Great Britain, and sometimes Ireland.
2,225
questions
0
votes
0answers
41 views
How to syllabify “very” or “merry” etc in British English?
How should words like merry or very be syllabified in British English. I learned from the answer to my first question that words that have vowels like /ʌ ɪ ʊ ɛ/ should have a consonant after that ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Single word request: something does not disconfirm the superiority of the most widely used practice [duplicate]
I analysed different nonoperative management practices and all of them showed worse outcomes than surgery.
The sentence I am writing:
None of the nonoperative management practices disconfirms the ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Single word request: practice based on non-strict criteria
Context:
Clinical decision making is highly varying, as there are no strict criteria between operative and nonoperative management.
How to say this with one academically suitable word?
Clinical ...
-1
votes
1answer
54 views
I can form sentences in English grammar. I, somehow, just know what should I use in a particular scenario. But I don't know why it is used? [closed]
I can form any sentence in English with proper grammar and can write what I want to. I can also solve all types of problems in the language.
I know, for example, where to use 'will' and where to use &...
-1
votes
0answers
30 views
Why is personae a plural of persona? [closed]
Plurals in the English language usually end with -s (or -es, if a singular ends with -s), but personae? What kind of pluralization pattern is that, ending with -e instead?
0
votes
0answers
21 views
How to avoid the repetition of thanks in emails? [closed]
I am writing an email in the body of which I am making a request, and in order to make it politely, I am using this phrasing: "I would be grateful if…".
It is very common for emails to be ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Capitalization of “mathematics” [closed]
Is "mathematics" as a subject capitalized or spelt with lowercase?
Examples of partial sentences for context:
....discussing the challenges experienced when teaching mathematics to grade 11 ...
0
votes
2answers
46 views
Capitalization of “indigenous” [closed]
Does the word "indigenous" need to be capitalized in academic writing?
For example, mid-sentence, is it:
...Indigenous methodologies or indigenous methodologies
...Indigenous knowledge or ...
1
vote
2answers
86 views
Is /ɜː/ realized as schwa [ə] in British English?
I have noticed that the vowel /ɜː/ (as in the RP pronunciation of "BIRD") sounds the same as the schwa [ə] (as in the pronunciation of "BUTTER" in RP). I assume the BIRD vowel is ...
5
votes
3answers
143 views
Where does 'po-faced' come from etymologically, geographically, and chronologically?
The entry for po-faced in Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) reads as follows:
po-faced adj {perh. fr. po chamber pot, toilet, fr. F pot pot} (1934) Brit : having an assumed ...
0
votes
2answers
25 views
Missing data: not registered vs not available
I have a scientific paper table that has a few missing values. Values are missing as they were not recorded (written by a doctor) on patients' medical records. Should I address these values as "...
-3
votes
1answer
53 views
Is there a word for centering the English language that is disconnected from England?
I am looking to describe the centering of the English language (in a US-based but global business culture). The company itself is based in California, and what I'm seeing is an intersection of US-...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
What is the grammatical nature of “wrote” in the phrase “The Wrote and The Writ”?
In the song The Wrote and the Writ by British singer and songwriter Johnny Flynn, the title uses that phrase which comes from the the last verse of the song:
If you're born with a love for the wrote ...
2
votes
0answers
90 views
Is the diphthong /aʊ/ generally realized as [ɑʊ] in British English?
I noticed that the diphthong /aʊ/ is pronounced by most British English speakers as [ɑʊ] (I may be inaccurate here).
You can see the vowel /a/ on the vowel diagram below:
I understand this diagram ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
few/little/some software (in plural) [duplicate]
I would like to say:
Available calculation methods are limited to few software. With "few", I mean 3 programs. However, "software" is an uncountable noun. "Some" and &...
-1
votes
0answers
21 views
mobile network provider vs operator vs carrier
I need a term to describe a company that provides telephony and data connection for cell phones/mobile phones to "normal" users of cell phon/mobile phones in the UK & US.
Is it mobile ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Paste data in/to/into the Excel-based calculator
I am writing an instruction for an Excel-based calculator. Which preposition should I use?
Paste data in/to/into the calculator
5
votes
2answers
115 views
Pronunciation of “master” and “plaster” in Northern England
A pattern I've noticed in Northern England is that people of my age (born in the '90s) pronounce words like “master” and “plaster” with a short A (/a/), whereas anyone of my parents' generation (born ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Noun + to + Verb - Grammar Structure
I saw this sentences below somewhere and am struggling with the grammar structure.
" Britain to restrict promotion of unhealthy food from April 2022 "
Just wonder why is " to " ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
What is a British English equivalent to 'Fussbudget'?
Lucy from Charles Schultz's Peanuts strip is often described as a 'fussbudget', for example here: 'Lucy: Fussbudget to Feminist'. What is a British English equivalent to 'fussbudget'?
1
vote
3answers
62 views
What does “prolonged mental inventory” mean? [closed]
This passage is adapted from Saki, "The Schartz-Metterklume Method", originally published in 1911.
She wired a vague non-committal message to her destination to say that she was coming on &...
1
vote
2answers
73 views
American reading of the British expression “look around impressively”
In British English, "he looked around the room impressively" is a somewhat common expression (warning: I grew up in the colonies and lived in the UK for only about 5 years, so please correct ...
1
vote
0answers
14 views
Comma use: Physical therapy hours were derived from the funding codes for rehabilitation, which, for the most part, have pre-defined lengths
Sentence
Physical therapy hours were derived from the funding codes for rehabilitation, which, for the most part, have pre-defined lengths.
Is it correct to put commas before and after "which&...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
What is the difference between “particular” and “specific”? [closed]
I am a beginner and I really like to learn English.
I sometimes come across phrases where the meaning seems to be the same, but the difference lies in the little things.
Could you tell me what is the ...
1
vote
1answer
16 views
Guidance in/on research and life
Should I use "guidance on" or "guidance in" in the following sentence? Google search showed that "on" is more often used.
Thank you for the guidance not only on research ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Single word to express “all around support”
If somebody helped an author in many topics, how to express this with sincere gratitude?
SENTENCE
It is a genuine pleasure to express my sincere gratitude and appreciations to people supporting me ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
What does the apostrophe in the expression ‘I’ faith’ mean?
In older translations of Latin texts (and I would presume Greek as well), the phrase I’ faith is quite common. Examples from Plautus’ Menaechmus 2.2 and 2.3:
CYLINDRUS
I’ve catered well, and to my ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Correct preposition use: regional comparisons in/of health care utilisation
Which would be correct preposition use:
regional comparisons in health care utilisation
regional comparisons of health care utilisation
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Single word request: a non-changing temporal trend [closed]
Is there a word for describing a non-changing temporal trend? Stasis?
E.g. expenditure on health care did not change between 2000-2020.
0
votes
2answers
26 views
Word request: different-level factors?
Let's suppose that clinical care is poor due to numerous reasons: policy-making, insufficient resources, specialists, education, non-use of standards etc.
How to say this in one word that describes ...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
2 times higher or 2-times higher? [closed]
which of them should be preferred in academic British English?
2 times higher
2-times higher
and would how to write a ranging difference
2-3-times higher
4
votes
3answers
108 views
How and when did the ('chiefly British') sense of 'wheeze', meaning 'good plan, scheme' arise?
The American Heritage Dictionary entry for this sense of wheeze adds only a [chiefly British] caveat:
wheeze ... [noun]
...
[chiefly British] A clever scheme.
Collins adds a [slang] caveat:
...
0
votes
3answers
82 views
How to say in a compact way: an increase of something is due to decrease in something else
I am examining temporal trends in the sale numbers of apples, pears and bananas. And I found a significant 5 percentage point increase for apples and a significant 5 percentage point decrease for ...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
How is /ɑ:/ realized in British English: [ɑː] or more relaxed than [ɑː]?
I know that /ɑː/ is open back unrounded vowel and is found a lot in British English. It is the vowel in bath, father, bar, car etc in British English. In American English, this vowel is found in bar, ...
1
vote
2answers
75 views
“Ridiculous” - what an ambiguous word. Please help to understand [closed]
I've been trying to understand the meaning of "ridiculous", but I am still confused. I can see it is used in both positive or negative ways.
When someone likes something, they say with a ...
1
vote
0answers
56 views
Do British English-speakers call American Lieutenants 'lef-tenants' or 'loo-tenants'?
In British English, the military (and police) rank of 'lieutenant' is pronounced 'lef-tenant'. In American English, it is 'loo-tenant' (approximately).
Are these treated as two distinct pronunciations ...
-2
votes
1answer
37 views
Which one is correct “John is in the third” or “John is in the third place”? [closed]
If I want to ask someone in the picture, like 'Where's John?' or 'Which one is john?' which answer should it be?
1
vote
0answers
47 views
What's a wedding pip? [closed]
At a wedding, the son of the bride said, "I wish I could have put up a pip for you." What was he talking about?
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Does the em dash take precedence over the comma?
In a sentence like:
While I would love to do A, I cannot wait to do B.
If I add a set-off clause right before the comma, which of these is correct?
While I would love to do A—for reasons X—I cannot ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Definite article use. Baseline characteristics of (the) included patients
Could you help me with definite article use in a table caption. Should I use or not "the" there?
Table 1. Baseline characteristics of included patients.
Table 1. Baseline characteristics ...
0
votes
0answers
11 views
Definite article use with “median”
I have seen the use of both options; however, which of them is more correct?
Preceding text: A total of 500 patients were included in the study. ...
Median patient age was 50 years.
The median ...
1
vote
2answers
29 views
Differentiating new (wife and children) and old family (parents) in a dedication
I am writing a dedication:
To my family, parents and mentors
Parents were also my family when I was a kid. Thus, may this "overlap" in the differents terms cause confusion?
A wordier ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Comma use: Finally, only 10% of patients, being not admitted to hospital care, received rehabilitation
Finally, only 10% of patients, being not admitted to hospital care, received rehabilitation.
Finally, only 10% of patients, not admitted to hospital care,
received rehabilitation.
How should I use ...
0
votes
0answers
10 views
Although (the) majority of (the) patients had surgery,
I have a paragraph about the proportion of patients treated surgically. One of the paragraph's sentences is as follows:
Although the majority of patients had surgery, 6% received non-operative ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Problem with passive form [closed]
I am trying to solve an exercise where you have to rewrite sentences into passive form. I am having a problem with these sentences:
Someone empties our bins every week.
submit: Our bins are emptied ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
What if money were beautiful - vs was beautiful [duplicate]
This website, https://celo.org/about - has a statement (screenshot below should it be removed in future)
The statement is "What is money were beautiful?".
This does not make sense to me.
In ...
2
votes
5answers
637 views
Is this just an error or am I missing something?
I ran across the following passage on a package of tea: "As the farmers all our teas come with a Tea Passport guaranteeing quality and sustainability from bush to cup". I don't see how this ...
0
votes
2answers
168 views
Is the short-e pronounced as [e] or [ɛ] in standard English? [duplicate]
In many English dictionaries, I saw the phonetic symbol of short-e is /e/ such as in bed (/bed/). However, I'm taught that the pronunciation of that is /ɛ/. Which one is right in standard English? ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
What does the expression “the school first XI rugger team” mean? [closed]
I found this sentence in a novel set in Cornwall. The complete sentence is:
Daddy is very proud that you have made the school first XI rugger team.
The boy in the team il 16 y.o. and he lives in the ...
0
votes
1answer
97 views
Is 'dirgible' good American English?
I have had a disagreement with my ten year old about the pronunciation of dirigible, which she was saying 'dirgible'. When I queried this, she explained that an animated movie on Netflix had it as '...
