|
Author
|
Topic: English question
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dominique De Bast
Film God
Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013
|
posted May 04, 2015 03:52 PM
English is, in my opinion, a false "easy language". Some basics are easier than in other languages like you don't have to remember the gender of the words (two in French, three in German !), once you know a verb you can use it (to see : I see, you see and so on, it's always the same, you just have to ad s for he or she). But if you want to go further basics things, it is difficult, indeed. As Steve reminds, English is used all over the world, so a first difficulty is the accent. The BBC pronounciation is fantastic but in the real live, not so many people talk like that :-). I have some American tv shows on 16 mm from which I understand each word of each sentence but on the other hand the first time I watched "Citizen Kane", I almost didn't understand anything !
--------------------
Dominique
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mathew James
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 740
From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2014
|
posted May 05, 2015 02:41 PM
I think the reason they use 'their' most times is because it is a generic advertisement. In other-words, they do not want to limit to a boy or girl by using he/she, because it cuts ones advertising market in half. This may not pertain exactly to your example dominique, but to many I believe.
If an advert is geared specifically towards girls(like lipstick), it will likely use 'she'. Male adverts 'he'.
Many times a woman is used as personification, like in 'look at that car...she's a beaut..." etc.... but one know by the context that it is personified, because the object is not a person, like in this case, a car.
If you were to advertise to a group, and you did not want to restrict invitation to the audience, you would use 'their' and thus the reader would not try to figure out if it is a 'he' or 'she' selling the ticket, but rather would focus on the object being sold instead. At least that is the intent in Marketing and Advertisements. In your example, they want you to know about the TICKETS you can get from someone who cannot go, whether a girl or boy.
Cheers,
Matt
--------------------
--
Cheers,
Matt 📽
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
|
posted May 05, 2015 06:55 PM
I remember way back in 2008 when I spent the day showing young Chris who was just 15 years old at the time, how to thread the Bauer, the Simplex, and the Kinoton projectors. All day he just smiled at me and said nothing ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) ...so I thought that he must be having me on, so when the 6 O'clock sessions came up, I said ok you thread them and I will check...so he did and to my surprise they were perfect.
I still remember looking at him afterwards and all he did was smile at me, but said nothing
Years later, I asked him why he never spoke that day, his reply was that he could "not understand" a word I was saying ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) ...my accent was to much..clever kid that he was, he had picked things up very quickly by simply watching.
I am pleased that the years he spent at that cinema was later to lead him to a electrical apprenticeship, that at the age of now 22 he has completed and doing very well... and from time to time we still keep in touch ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
|
posted May 06, 2015 02:30 AM
Hi Dominique
He was local, a New Zealander. The thing was that even though I have been in NZ for just over 40 years people still tell me I have a Scottish accent, although I don't feel that way myself its what I have been told. I don't think you ever loose it.
Funny thing when I first arrived in this country, it was winter and very cold, so I went to a store and asked if I could buy a "hot water bottle". The girl went away and came back with a "Condom" I looked at this thing and said I need something a "lot bigger" than that ....I always remember the look I got
Regarding Chris, at the time in 2008 I was only really looking for someone to do the evenings so I could go home. Finding someone that's reliable to do part time projection work was almost impossible.
Within around 15 hours training I gave him a set of keys and put him on regular evening work. The first night on his own I was a bit concerned if he could handle it...he did really well, and the next day I arrived to find the projectors cleaned down and a note to say..."a fun but nervous night, thanks for giving me the chance".
I would have to say that in the 12 years of projection work giving that young kid the job was one of the best decision's I have made, although many at the time were opposed to me giving him a job as projectionist so I had that to contend with as well.
The way I look at life Dominique and I told Chris this, is that people had faith in me to give me employment over the many years since I left school at 15 years, so in a way I look at it, was my way to pay some of that back and give someone else that chance before I retire.
Here is a still from the 2008 to 2010 video we put together....a great record of film projecting that's now long gone....
| IP: Logged
|
|
Terry Sills
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012
|
posted May 06, 2015 05:32 AM
To pick up on Tom's point, it's not so much the influence from the U.S. but rather the poor standard of education that so many of our UK schools offer. Overcrowded classrooms, poorly qualified teachers, multi ethnic pupils, all resulting in many young adults leaving school barely able to read and write or do simple arithmetic without the aid of a calculator. Fortunately we still have the best educational facilities in the world, with wonderful institutions - Oxford, Cambridge, Eton, Harrow, Rugby and many other not so famous schools, the list goes on and on. Sadly though not available to all except the lucky or wealthy.
Just my opinion. Have I disturbed a hornets nest?
[ May 06, 2015, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: Terry Sills ]
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
