is that not ment to be french
How do you spell Grey/gray?
- Thread starter chloezoebob101
- Start date
is that not ment to be french
Beeves - Perhaps if 'beef' was used to refer to the animal rather than its meat, 'beeves' might emerge as the plural. On the other hand, 'sheep' is both singular and plural.
'Rooves' is an acceptable plural in Britain but 'roofs' is much more common, 'Hooves' is much more common than 'hoofs'!
Oddest language - Try Thai! It's a language where tone gives meaning. The same word can have several meanings depending on whether you say it with a high, medium or low pitch, pitch up, down, up then down or down then up. As a result of that, there's a word used at the end of a sentence to indicate that it's a question because a rising tone, as English speakers use, could change the meaning of the last word. There's no question mark in the written language, therefore. As an example of tone, you might want to say 'beautiful hair'. Using English spelling of the Thai characters, you would say 'pom suay' pom being 'hair. 'Suay' would end with a rising tone. 'Suay' without a rising tone means 'bad' or 'not good'. We have to be careful here how we pay compliments!
Also, tense is of limited importance in Thailand and that can be confusing for Westerners. For example, if I ask 'Where's that builder got to', the answer might be 'He come now'. That could mean that he's thinking about coming, he's having breakfast, he's on his way, or he's been here for hours. Perhaps you can understand why we expats. like to get together regularly for a chat in English!
'Rooves' is an acceptable plural in Britain but 'roofs' is much more common, 'Hooves' is much more common than 'hoofs'!
Oddest language - Try Thai! It's a language where tone gives meaning. The same word can have several meanings depending on whether you say it with a high, medium or low pitch, pitch up, down, up then down or down then up. As a result of that, there's a word used at the end of a sentence to indicate that it's a question because a rising tone, as English speakers use, could change the meaning of the last word. There's no question mark in the written language, therefore. As an example of tone, you might want to say 'beautiful hair'. Using English spelling of the Thai characters, you would say 'pom suay' pom being 'hair. 'Suay' would end with a rising tone. 'Suay' without a rising tone means 'bad' or 'not good'. We have to be careful here how we pay compliments!
Also, tense is of limited importance in Thailand and that can be confusing for Westerners. For example, if I ask 'Where's that builder got to', the answer might be 'He come now'. That could mean that he's thinking about coming, he's having breakfast, he's on his way, or he's been here for hours. Perhaps you can understand why we expats. like to get together regularly for a chat in English!
Thats interesting even made me think for a second
BEEF does depend on its used contex but most times you would say it in only one cotex and hence BEEF is both singular and plural
Can i get a rack of Beef
Can i get a Beef Joint
Can you Slice that Beef for me
Now thats a real lovley set of Beef joints
Two slices of Beef please for me
BEEF does depend on its used contex but most times you would say it in only one cotex and hence BEEF is both singular and plural
Can i get a rack of Beef
Can i get a Beef Joint
Can you Slice that Beef for me
Now thats a real lovley set of Beef joints
Two slices of Beef please for me
Yes, but when you say "plural," here, the examples you cite are more that they are a bulk entity -- not individual entities making up a group.
When you say something like, "slices of beef," it's the slice that is plural, not the beef..which in this case can be either singular or a bulk entity of a single substance.
A similar term would be "rice." You can indicate individual entities -- grains of rice -- or you can indicate a mass or bulk measure: "I'd like some rice, please." Or "bowl of rice."
"Snow" is another one: "flakes of snow/snow flakes" or "We got a lot of snow, last night."
"Flour" is another bulk entity, and I'm not sure it has a singular.
English is WEIRD!!!!!
When you say something like, "slices of beef," it's the slice that is plural, not the beef..which in this case can be either singular or a bulk entity of a single substance.
A similar term would be "rice." You can indicate individual entities -- grains of rice -- or you can indicate a mass or bulk measure: "I'd like some rice, please." Or "bowl of rice."
"Snow" is another one: "flakes of snow/snow flakes" or "We got a lot of snow, last night."
"Flour" is another bulk entity, and I'm not sure it has a singular.
English is WEIRD!!!!!
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I don't think it's weird but it's certainly complex for those who attempt to use it to perfection. One great benefit of the language that comes from its complexity is the subtle differences in meaning that it allows. You can convey very precise meanings. That adds to the potential richness of conversation and the world's best literature and comedy.
This link is interesting. It shows very simply how English developed to what it is today.
http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm
This link is interesting. It shows very simply how English developed to what it is today.
http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm
Yes, you're right. English is complex and multi-layered. I actually enjoy playing with the language!
Me too!
No English was a love language til germanic tribes started to take over areas where it was spoken and influenced their german in to it so now it is rough. A lot of german sounds like english.
Actually, English came with the Angles, Germanic "invaders" to Britain. The Celts who already lived there were pushed to the fringes. Relatively few Celtic words have made it into the English language. The advent of Christianity brought all kinds of Latin and Greek based words into English. The subsequent Viking raiding and Norman Invasion further changed the language. The Normans were Vikings that settled in Normandy and adopted the French language. This gave us words like beef, pork, surrender, nobility etc. English is a great language for just adding new words from where ever and when ever. Honcho is Japanese, canoe is from a Native American language, bungalow is from Hindi, silk is Chinese, you get the picture.
By the way, I use both grey and gray. I also sometimes use British spellings for neighbour, honour etc. I have a readers vocabulary and sometimes the other spelling just sneak in.
I have friends from Scotland. When their son was young he needed speech therapy. It took a few sessions for the therapist and the family to work out what pronunciations were okay...the kid had speech delays, but what the therapist (a Texan) and the parents thought were appropriate sounds for some words and letters were entirely different. The kid talks fine now. Pretty much standard American English, but with certain phrases and words that are either not used in American English or are pronounced differently.
By the way, I use both grey and gray. I also sometimes use British spellings for neighbour, honour etc. I have a readers vocabulary and sometimes the other spelling just sneak in.
I have friends from Scotland. When their son was young he needed speech therapy. It took a few sessions for the therapist and the family to work out what pronunciations were okay...the kid had speech delays, but what the therapist (a Texan) and the parents thought were appropriate sounds for some words and letters were entirely different. The kid talks fine now. Pretty much standard American English, but with certain phrases and words that are either not used in American English or are pronounced differently.
Now for some fun with American English....
Do you pronounce bury and berry the same or differently?
How about merry and marry?
Does root rhyme with boot or with soot?
Do you know what a bubbler is?
Is a sandwich on a long roll a hoagie, a grinder or a sub sandwich?
Do you know what a hoosgow is? How about hootch?
Lots of others fit in here too.
Do you pronounce bury and berry the same or differently?
How about merry and marry?
Does root rhyme with boot or with soot?
Do you know what a bubbler is?
Is a sandwich on a long roll a hoagie, a grinder or a sub sandwich?
Do you know what a hoosgow is? How about hootch?
Lots of others fit in here too.
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