British/American comparison stylebook/grammar
<<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.
<<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.
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".
'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.
'The Australian public' isn't exactly a sports team.
***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
How about the part 'On to/into parliament' which one would you use?
In the United States, one would say "The Australian public HAS voted." "Have" is wrong.
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.
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.
"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?
<<"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!
Ever read Fowler, Candy? It's certainly not how I learnt it at school.
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.