British English editing for Yanks

[Kerrybuchanan]

Are we going to have Independence Day celebrations?

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Are we going to have Independence Day celebrations?

Some might be in the morning, but that's a whole other thread.

 

[Brian G Turner]

just a note, the U words I just typed are showing misspelled on this site! Which seems odd to me

They do for me, too, but it's not the forum software but the browser - looks like my Firefox has reverted to US English on the last update.

 

[Wiglaf]

Besides having someone British read it, I would recommend looking up Americanisms* on the internet. Then, don't use any of them. It doesn't matter that many are not Americanisms and that some will simply be incorrect grammar**; someone will complain if you use them. Also, I would be careful of what the internet says is British; I only use leapt, but British books traditionally use leaped***.

* I am referring to "Americanisms" here, where BBC viewers or Guardian readers are complaining, not "American vs British English"
** You might actually use incorrect grammar in dialogue. Just use differently incorrect grammar in your dialogue.
*** Published works in British English: Tolkien, Doyle, every British English book that I have ever read (but not my American translation of Harry Potter)

(By the way, I am American)

 

[Kylara]

I would say that "leapt" and "leaped" had slightly different meanings. But can't quite put my finger on what they are, just a feeling. Quickly I would say "leapt" is more haphazard, more flingy, and "leaped" is more judged and planned, risks taken into account. May just be me though

 

[Venusian Broon]

My Collins Concise Dictionary has leapt and leaped as the same meaning Kylara, just different forms.

I do like your slightly different takes on them though

 

[Ursa major]

(just a note, the U words I just typed are showing misspelled on this site! Which seems odd to me

I expect it's your browser. I don't think the Chrons does spell checking (though I may be wrong).

the Carl Hobbs character in the remake of V was Australian

He was born in Somerset (which may or may not have contributed to the "problem" ).

 

[tinkerdan]

This usually only becomes confusing for us when it includes was.

You also have to be careful with some expressions.

For example, in ordinary conversation, I might say "I walked into the empty room and sat at the table."

However, so far as I understand it, an American audience understands "sat" as "was seated (by someone)".

He was sat at the table.

Usually solicits the thought, 'Well who sat him there?'

I don't want to write that way because 'whilst' is like fingernail on chalkboard every time I even think it.

 

[ratsy]

He was sat at the table sounds very wrong to me...

 

[tinkerdan]

And yet: I can't number the times I've read it wrote that way...

He was sat at the table sounds very wrong to me...

whilst putting up with other strange combinations.

 

[HareBrain]

"Was sat", as in "was sitting", is a colloquialism (though a widespread one) rather than a part of "proper" British English.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Cheers for that, HareBrain. Got to admit, I kept wondering why beta readers were correcting that.

 

[HareBrain]

You should thank The Judge, really, who drummed it into me. I've rarely seen her sword look so pointy!

Personally, I prefer "was sat". Maybe because I go around saying "wassat then?" a lot.

 

[Ursa major]

It's easy to say incorrectly -- even I do it , explaining it away (if challenged) as spoken, informal English, not formal, written English -- but it's also easy to fix:

Past Simple tense: He sat at the table
Past Continuous tense: He was sitting at the table.​

Notice that the Past Continuous tense uses the present participle (sitting), not the past participle (sat); this seeming incongruity might help you remember how it works.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I agree with you, HareBrain.

 

[HareBrain]

I know it's incorrect, and I know what the correct version would be, but I still prefer the sound of it. And in fact, I prefer the sound of "he were sat" even more. I think the more informal, "rural" ways of expression are often more melodious than formal English. It's only a matter of time before I take up Morris Dancing.

 

[The Judge]

Not so much drummed as thumped into you, I'd have said. And I shall ask the farmer down the road for some straw that you can chew upon while you are next gazing over a field and muttering "Ooh-ar" to yourself.

AS a matter of interest would either of you two yokels write (as opposed to say) "He was stood in the corner" instead of "He stood" or "He was standing"? (Other than if someone with a very pointy sword came along and shoved you there, of course.)

 

[thaddeus6th]

I would write that

HareBrain, my Twitter handle is MorrisF1. Great minds think alike.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

In my Ulster stuff I'd definitely have the odd he was standing in the corner. In the non-Ulster stuff I'd have he stood. Maybe that's part of why they sound so different from each other.

 

[HareBrain]

AS a matter of interest would either of you two yokels write (as opposed to say) "He was stood in the corner" instead of "He stood" or "He was standing"?

I don't know now! When I try to think what I'd write, there are loads of other voices in my head jabbing me with things. And I don't tend to write about people standing in corners because that's where the hound of tindalos comes from.

But, I think I would write "he stood in" unless I thought there was a danger that this would be read as "he went to stand in". I think I'd otherwise be tempted to write "he was stood in" (except for the mental sword I would then have to dodge).

@thaddeus6th -- combining morris dancing and formula 1 is a fantastic idea. One can only hope Bernie Wossname shares your vision.