True English

Hi Muriel,

MurielB a écrit:

gerardM a écrit:Note that Nine-One-One is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).

strange !

Dono if it's strange: people immediately noticed the attacks took place on 911.
I don't remember but there's also something odd regarding the date of attacks in London or in Spain (don't remember which one): the date is related to 9/11 too.

Muriel,

The attacks in Madrid took place on 3/11, 2004. People pointed out there is the 11 and 3-Mars is 6 months before/after 9-September: they said the date was especially wanted.

NB: London was July 7, 2005 (nothing to do with 9/11, 2001 nor 3/11, 2004).

Hi everyone,

Something I'd forgotten:
"Curfew" is a word that was taken from the French.
"Poor" English guys who desperately wanted to pronounce the French word as properly as possible I don't make fun with them, on the opposite, I'm moved to see their efforts.

Hi everyone,

In order to try to keep things tidy, I repost here (cf https://www.cafe-polyglotte.com/t2139-quiz-what-american-accent-do-you-have#9257 ):

As we're at it, you can notice the American form "What American accent do you have?" while the Brits would prefer "What American accent have you?" (at least when I was younger).
- "To have" is well an auxiliary in American grammar e.g. in the present perfect "I've seen the Eiffel tower" or ""She's been learning English for ages" but except this, it's not a special verb. American language prefers "do you have", "don't have" to "have you", "haven't"
- by the way, American language definitely prefers past to present perfect: "I saw" to "I've seen"

Hi Gerard, everyone
When I was studying English, it was difficult for us to choose between present perfect or simple past in a past action. . Past was used when the action expressed by the verb was determined and completely separated from the present. When the action expressed by the verb continued into the present or had an impact on the present, it was the present perfect.
What about American English ? Is there a rule ?

Hi Muriel,

Present perfect is rare in American.

> Is there a rule ?
I don't know for sure. I very often read and post on American public and private forums. I roughly personally tend to use the perfect when I'm laying stress on the duration of the action (with a continous form if it's still on); this use is what I could determine when reading my Am. colleagues' texts.

Thank you Garard !

gerardM a écrit:Hi Muriel,

Present perfect is rare in American.

> Is there a rule ?
I don't know for sure. I very often read and post on American public and private forums. I roughly personally tend to use the perfect when I'm laying stress on the duration of the action (with a continous form if it's still on); this use is what I could determine when reading my Am. colleagues' texts.

My and my colleagues' uses of perfect are not as frequent as the use in the National Geographic (which is very good Am English - but not street language).

Hi,

I realize Americans spell fetus and fetal instead of foetus and foetal.

What are they doing with aborted fetal cells in soft drinks??
( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=317856398327807&set=a.310985679014879.72836.225921714187943&type=1&ref=nf )

http://www.sott.net/article/242726-Avoid-Any-Products-Containing-Aborted-Fetal-Cells
At first I thought it was a joke and then I came across this article

Sadly it's not a joke!!

Hi everyone,

As I keep repeating it, if you want to master a language, from a certain level, you absolutely need to know everything ie your learning will never end.

There are lots of little words or expressions that we rarely find in school books which are tricky.
An ESL (English as a second Language) usually tends to apply their French pattern to English . Given the numerous similarities and false cognates between both languages, there's a good chance they fall into the trap.

A few words I'm thinking of:

- "salad" is not lettuce and needs a modifier
- "Coca" is not our Fr "Coca/Coca Cola" but the company; the beverage is "Coke"
- "Basket" is neither the sport nor the shoe we French are thinking about.

Lots of misunderstandings like that!
Problem is that using "salad", "Coca", or "Basket", EMT will understand something but not the thing you really mean (they will not understand your mistake immediately as it simply won't match the context - if you're speaking to friends, they will ask you; if you're making a speech, people will think your language is poor and the audience will be lost).

gerardM a écrit:


There are lots of little words or expressions that we rarely find in school books which are tricky.
.

There are a lot of shades of meaning of brown translated into French.
Brown eyes = Beurre roux
Brown pencil=Crayon bistre
Brown shoes=chaussures marron
Brown paper=Papier gris
Brown hair cheveux châtains
I will try to find more in my next post

Hello everyone
Keep off the grass= Ne marchez pas sur le gazon
Under new management=Changement de propriétaire
men at work=Travaux en cours
Drive slowly=Marchez au pas
To the boat=Accès au paquebot
To the tracks=Accès au quais
to the trains=Accès aux quais
slippery when wet=chaussée glissante par temps humide
In public notices it is interesting to see the importance of the English prepositon or postposition
I have found them in one of my university years 'book = Stylistique comparée de l'Anglais et du Français.

Hi Muriel,

> the importance of the English prepositon or postposition
Very interesting indeed!
Good nights learning by heart.

Hi everyone,

In this topic ("True English"), we try to speak about simple needs that we hardly find in schoolbooks and when we have to speak, we don't know well what to say as if it was too simple to be learned (Am spelling of the British "learnt") or taught.

An example would be interjections...
- how do you write the English for our French "Ouf !" expressing relief?... Phew!
- how do you write the English for our French "Euh !" expressing hesitation?... Er
- how do you write the English for our French "Hum !" expressing doubt?... Hm!
- of course, there're lots... of mysteries like these.

~~

-1-Now, I would like your help re (regarding) different writings in English for our French "merci" (I used "writings" which means also abbreviations).

-2-I also need your participation in both French and English to respond to a "Merci !" as I don't really know.

--2,1- in French, according to the social level, manners, situation, region... I could hear (I try to write them in decreasing order of frequency) "de rien", "je vous en prie", "à votre service", "au plaisir" (south west of France), "pas de problème", etc. you probably know other ways.

--2,2- what are the responses heard in English?
Once, in my job, I got a solution to a hard issue I had in my work. This took a weight off my shoulders and I warmly thanked my colleague. I was rather surprised and disappointed by his response which was: "That's my job!" I had the impression he was refusing my words, refusing my thanks.
I discussed this with an EMT who told me it was not usual but not that surprising. The explanation was that the Brits are very polite and the response to a "thank you" is more a reflex but they don't feel comfortable with feelings and emotion so that, these words just meant a kind of shyness or awkwardness.
That is my anecdote of the day!

- in my opinion, a response in English is quite mandatory (automatic) while it's not so frequent in French (do you agree with me? don't you?)
I personally tested this in English and I got 7 responses to my 7 "thank you" to the same event (on purpose; of course I varied my words to look natural - I was sincere but wanted to check).

Comments?

Hello Gérard, everyone
I have just asked Google and he said

Americans prefer "You are welcome."
The British prefers "Not at all

Anyway I can ask my English friends (or irish because I know one quite well) on tuesday and I will write it on this forum

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

The American usual response is definitely "You're welcome!".

I'm more interested in your experience than in Google's "opinion".

I'm very surprised by "not at all" which would be a "bad translation" of the French "de rien".

Besides, there's a lot of responses and I would like to read them all (helped by all of our members).

Ok I will remember and ask my English friends when I see them on tuesday in calais or wednesday in Lille.
Il also need your help for preschool vocabulary. As you know I have been speaking English to my grand son Emile this week but I would have liked to be with an English lady to know which expressions are used in England for a preschool child. If you have any in mind, please let me know.

Muriel,

What expressions do you use to thank? to respond to a "Thanks"?

~~

With your grandson, play peekaboo.

Hi Gérard
In French to respond to a thank i would say "pas de problème, c'était un plaisir"
In English I would say "You are welcome"
For my grand son there a lot of expressions I can't translate into English. for instance after he has made a castle with his blocks and the blocks are on the floor again, I would say in French "Cassé". What 's the English ?
What is peekaboo please ?
I think I should spend some time in a nursery class.

Hi Muriel,

I'm not an EMT but I suppose that they should use simple words such as "Broken!" or "Destroyed!", the face and expressions on the face along with the hands being important to help understanding.

"Peekaboo!" is the word said for our French "coucou !". If the French "separate" the 2 syllables (at least same stress), Americans stress and enlong the last syllable.

Hi Muriel,

I am not sure "You are welcome!" is the most usual response in England.

I personally say "you're welcome!" but I'm more American than Brit.
I guess that in England, they would rather say:
- don't mention it!
- never mind!
... probably other expressions.

Hi,

Here are a few responses found on the Web:

What does de rien mean in French?
Answer

It literally means "of nothing" but is more like "It's nothing." For example, when someone thanks you for something and you respond "Don't worry about it!" or "Not at all!" or "It's nothing!", this is what the French use "De rien" for.

"De rien" is most commonly translated and used as saying thank you. People say "merci" and the normal way of saying something back [you're welcome] is by saying "de rien."

( http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_de_rien_mean_in_French )

You'll find "Don't mention it", "you're welcome" on http://mymemory.translated.net/t/French/English/de%20rien%20monsieur which is a summary page.
I'm very surprised by "dacor"... I didn't read the details

This page provides "That's ok" and "You' re welcome"
-> Easy English to French Word and Phrase Translations

gerardM a écrit:Hi everyone,~

-I also need your participation in both French and English to respond to a "Merci !" as I don't really know.

Hi Gérard, Hi everyone
As I had promised I asked my English friends at the calais polyglot tonight
A couple from London and having lived a long time in Surrey said "You're welcome, no problem, its all right, my pleasure"
Another English gentleman with a typical English humour added "It's oK this time but don't ask me again" (He also advised me to keep this expression for somebody I really know"
Peter from Manchester also said "cheers, don't mention it"
Another friend Bernard added that one of his friends from Brighton would also say " It's OK don't mention it, don't worry, that's fine, it's not a problem, you are welcome it's my pleasure "