Cendrillon Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Exactly Sweets,Dear Sir ends with Yours faithfullyand Dear Mr Blogs ends with Yours sincerely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 NormanH perhaps your comment on native speakers is a bit harsh? I worked as a Senior PA/assistant translator for some years before going into teaching (and becoming Head of Langs + English - yes I know!) and lived in UK for 39 years - so although my English is defo NOT perfect, I am not totally clueless. Sincerely yours is used by Americans. I never mind being corrected and no offense taken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 No one's English is "perfect", Swissie, if only people will always disagree as to what constitutes Perfection.I remember years ago a Linguistics lecturer (yes, mine, unfortunately) always used to say that there was no such thing as "bad" or "incorrect" language, only "inappropriate" language.Then I heard an English professor stating categorily that, in English, two negatives could make a positive but that two positives could NEVER make a negative. At this point of the lecture, a languid voice came from the back of the hall: yeah, yeah!It was a glorious moment, that I shall treasure for the rest of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Wonderful moment - wish I'd been there. Where was u-tube then! My English is more than imperfect, and my French isn't perfect either! I always like to be corrected - it is just there there are 'ways and ways' - and this time it just seemed a bit abrupt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Norman, abrupt? Noooooooooooooo..............[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 [quote user="sweet 17"]No one's English is "perfect", Swissie, if only people will always disagree as to what constitutes Perfection.I remember years ago a Linguistics lecturer (yes, mine, unfortunately) always used to say that there was no such thing as "bad" or "incorrect" language, only "inappropriate" language.Then I heard an English professor stating categorily that, in English, two negatives could make a positive but that two positives could NEVER make a negative. At this point of the lecture, a languid voice came from the back of the hall: yeah, yeah!It was a glorious moment, that I shall treasure for the rest of my life.[/quote]Another example of colonial EnglishNo self-respecting British speaker would say 'yeah' for 'yes' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Well that's OK then - all in the past and forgotten. But language is very flexible - and there is often many different ways to say the same thing - none being particularly more 'right' than the other - variety is the spice of life as you say. No competition needed - we all work as a team. Bisous @+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 [quote user="NormanH"][quote user="sweet 17"]No one's English is "perfect", Swissie, if only people will always disagree as to what constitutes Perfection.I remember years ago a Linguistics lecturer (yes, mine, unfortunately) always used to say that there was no such thing as "bad" or "incorrect" language, only "inappropriate" language.Then I heard an English professor stating categorily that, in English, two negatives could make a positive but that two positives could NEVER make a negative. At this point of the lecture, a languid voice came from the back of the hall: yeah, yeah!It was a glorious moment, that I shall treasure for the rest of my life.[/quote]Another example of colonial EnglishNo self-respecting British speaker would say 'yeah' for 'yes'[/quote]Norman, keep up there, will you?Yes, yes wouldn't convey the same idea, don't you see?Yeah, yeah in a bored voice was absolutely the right answer in the context.Well, if you really don't get it and I can't demonstrate it for you on the Forum in written form, you'd just have to accept my explanation.Unless, of course, someone can come along and explain it better than I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 The correct word is 'register' if I remember correctly- and the register was perfect in context. One of the hardest thing to really get to grips with, as a foreigner learning a language, is appropriate use of register. It took me years - and I still can get it wrong. At a very posh black tie dinner at the Grand Hotel, a couple of years after my arrival - I learnt the hard way that 'I am totally knackered' - which was absolutely correct with my young Uni friends - was just not the most suitable way to express extreme tiredness with the crème de la crème of Leicester Society, especially 30 years ago. 'Got away' with it as some kind soul explained I was 'foreign'. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 LOL, Swissie, I don't suppose cream-crackered would have gone down any better?Norman will understand register as he knows a lot about music and anyway, by tomorrow, he might have got off his high horse and come back here to talk to us.I wouldn't hold my breath though...[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 [quote user="sweet 17"] register [/quote]Aa's gotta book 'baht that - if only I could find it - it's somewhere - but not where I thought I'd put or I would quote from it for you.But you are quite right, the register is very important - which is why I decided when in doubt always to use the non-colloquial form - after all they KNOW I'm "furrain"!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Judith, strew, you oneof them pernickety types an' all?How's about we start our own thread on all things linguistic.......wouldn't that be fun? OTOH, might sound too much like hard work![+o(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Only if we make it hard work and take it all 'serious like'my problem Judith, was that being with students all the time, I didn't always know if a word or expression I'd picked up was colloquial or standard. I actually believed that I am totally knackered meant I am very tired! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 [quote user="Swissie"] I actually believed that I am totally knackered meant I am very tired![/quote]It does Swissie.as does "I'm 'cream-crackered'."[:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Yeah yeah, and I can think of another few which are not quite printable here !As in 'equivalent to' - without any idea that is means the same but is not quite equal 'register'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 [quote user="sweet 17"]Judith, strew, you oneof them pernickety types an' all?[/quote]No!! Just trying to keep things simple for me!!!And, Swissie, I do see your point about being with students; fortunately I'm not often with that age group. But your tale does so illustrate the use of "register". Still haven't found the book though..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenniswitch Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 [quote user="sweet 17"]No one's English is "perfect", Swissie, if only people will always disagree as to what constitutes Perfection.I remember years ago a Linguistics lecturer (yes, mine, unfortunately) always used to say that there was no such thing as "bad" or "incorrect" language, only "inappropriate" language.Then I heard an English professor stating categorily that, in English, two negatives could make a positive but that two positives could NEVER make a negative. At this point of the lecture, a languid voice came from the back of the hall: yeah, yeah!It was a glorious moment, that I shall treasure for the rest of my life.[/quote] Ah, the famous Sidney Morgenbesser gibe. I just ran across that in an article about him the other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Who is Sidney whatisname? I thought the first and original was John Burchfield, the lexicographer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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