Correct language

[SisHoff]

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum and thought Id start a thread about correct language. English is not my native tongue, but when I write letters (yes, I actually write letters and reply cards - on my old fashioned vintage stationary,- with a fountain pen of course - I think it's so glam!)
Doing this I try to pride myself to write it as correctly as possible to maintain a professional profile.
Now, here's a tricky one for me, that I'd like to ask any of you who have english as your first language, which is the correct way of writing this saying:
"a family who play together stay together"
OR
"a family who plays together stays together"

Anyone have a good suggestion?

Thankful for any repiles!


SisHoff

 

[BellyTank]

Plays/Stays works better as a spoken 'saying'- rolls off the tongue.

B
T

 

[Mr. Rover]

Family is singular, therefore you would use plays.

 

[Mr. 'H']

"Family" is singular. It is a noun unto itself.

So, it should be "the family had its dinner" not "the family had their dinner".

The above gets tricky as "who" follows "family" which indicates a person or persons. Therefore, it would make more sense to say "A family which....".

 

[stbdtack]

I'm not sure if it applies in this particular example, but your confusion my be caused by the fact that in current usage, Brits and Amreicans use a different convention when dealing with groups. A Brit would say Burberry "are" introducing a new clothing line. . . " an American would say Burberry "is" introducing. . . . Which one is correct? -- either, I guess, depending.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Belly Tank?

Is that you? Why, your not anything like I had you pictured in my mind's eye, you old rascal. Talk about me having everybody fooled....

 

[Mr. 'H']

I'll bet that's not him....

 

[Mimi Thomas]

Either would be correct.

I prefer the more proper British usage, but the American version is also acceptable. It's down to personal preference.

 

[BellyTank]

'A' Family who plays... or 'The' Family who play...- which might be more correct but with sayings and coloquial gumph, some license can be observed...

B
T

 

[BellyTank]

Bob and 'H...

Is that you? Why, your not anything like I had you pictured in my mind's eye, you old rascal. Talk about me having everybody fooled....

Yes it's me- pretty grim huh?

B
T

 

[Bebop]

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum and thought Id start a thread about correct language. English is not my native tongue, but when I write letters (yes, I actually write letters and reply cards - on my old fashioned vintage stationary,- with a fountain pen of course - I think it's so glam!)
Doing this I try to pride myself to write it as correctly as possible to maintain a professional profile.
Now, here's a tricky one for me, that I'd like to ask any of you who have english as your first language, which is the correct way of writing this saying:
"a family who play together stay together"
OR
"a family who plays together stays together"

Anyone have a good suggestion?

Thankful for any repiles!


SisHoff

"A family who plays together, stays together" or better yet, "A family THAT plays together, stays together". If it is not correct, it should be. By the way SisHoff, what is your native tongue? Mine is spanish.

 

[Lauren]

I would say plays. Assuming each member in the family is contributing something, this would make the word plural. I could be wrong, though.

 

[LaMedicine]

While on the subject

Has anyone here read Eats, Shoots & Leaves?
It is a hilarious book on punctuation, and at one point, the author goes into a rant about the movie title, "Two Week's Notice". She also points out some of the differences in British and American English. I had always been confused whether I could place punctuation marks outside quotation marks, or whether they should always be inside the quotation marks. In GB, depending on the context, commas and periods can be placed on the inside or the outside. In the US, I was taught, never, never on the outside, they have to be inside. I have attended both British and American schools, so, no wonder I was confused about this for a long time!
Some of the differences in vocabulary can be confusing as well, ending up in funny or embarrasing situations. Like, tube/subway, trousers/pants, boot/trunk and jumper/sweater. I wonder if there are further variations with Aussies and New Zealanders.

Even with native English speakers, there are enough differences that it is often difficult to say what it correct.

There was an article in Newsweek a while back on the various English "dialects" thorughout the world, since, now, non-native English speakers far outnumber native English speakers, and in some cases, native English speakers can find themselves at a disadvantage in local business scenes because they cannot keep up with the local English "dialect" that is prevalent in the particular country....Conclusion? English is everchanging, and the line between correct and incorrect English is becoming fuzzier and fuzzier.

That said, myself being a non-native English speaker (I started school at a British school, though, because I was not living in my native country at the time I became school age), when I'm among company who don't know I consider English my second native language rather than my first foreign language, I stick to prim and proper English, just in case anything untimely happens.

 

[The Wolf]

British/American

The confusing thing about the different Englishes is not the different words. We know that bonnet and boot ( and just about every part of an auto ) are different names than Yanks use.
The part that causes problems is diferent meaning for the same word:
cider
muffin
biscuit
pants
suspenders
rubber
fanny
and many more


Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[LaMedicine]

The part that causes problems is different meaning for the same word:
pants

Precisely.
Pants/trousers.
If you were to say to your friend on a NY subway, "You've got a stain on your pants," no one will bat an eye. If you uttered the same line to your companion on a London tube, you'd get gasps of horror and embarrassment.
If you are driving out of London on a cold day with your American visitor and you tell him, "If you're cold, I have a jumper in my boot," the American is going to wonder how you can manage to stuff a jumper(jacket) into a boot (footwear) when you simply mean that you have a sweater (pullover) in the trunk, er boot, of your car.
(Incidentally, both of the above are real experiences related to me by a Texan friend.)

Anyway, for all societies/cultures/people, the problem of evolving language is as much a grievance as the problem of declining propriety in dress and mannerism in general.

 

[Mycroft]

The confusing thing about the different Englishes is not the different words. We know that bonnet and boot ( and just about every part of an auto ) are different names than Yanks use.
The part that causes problems is diferent meaning for the same word:
cider
muffin
biscuit
pants
suspenders
rubber
fanny
and many more


Sincerely,
The Wolf

"We are two people seperated by a common language"-W.C. Fields

Also, line (as in a store or traffic) and here is a good guide on their differences etc. : http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/lang/index.htm

 

[scotrace]

Variously ascribed, attributed, muddled:

"This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put."

Churchill (probably) on the rule banning end-of-sentence prepositions.

 

[SisHoff]

native tongue

Thanks for so manye great replies! And bebop, my native tongue is Norwegian by the way...pleased to "meet" you all!