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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
Autor: | Ayrbo |
E-mail: | não-disponível |
Data: | 03/NOV/2009 6:24 PM |
Assunto: | date & 'not have' qu |
Mensagem: |
Following the quite logical sequence, from smallest to largest unit, you get:
Day / month / year
As in ‘1 November 2009’ – this is the preferred plain English usage.
I wasn’t aware that the English language had a military force, but apparently they like this one too.
I’m not sure on what basis the out-of-order sequence (month/day/year) is described as being ‘most common’ – there must be a footnote reference missing (or a disclaimer of some sort: ‘ltd to xyz regional dialect’).
Perhaps you can describe this miniscule change of sequence (mdy instead of dmy) as an example of a psychological feature of US English – one ofthe means by which they are trying their best to distinguish and distance themselves from their British origins.
It’s pretty lame stuff though – if the difference was in fact so great, it wouldn’t require a self-conscious effort to constantly point it out: “Lookma!! See how different and original am!!”“Yes sonny (groan).”
Any unique difference is not borne out by a bunch of miniscule language distinctions (most of which were probably invented by publishers &editors to push up book sales).
The apparent gulf of separation turns out to be a barely distinguishable sliver – more a crack in the footpath (Sorry: sidewalk!.. or do I mean ‘pavement’) than a grand canyon!
So stick with the simple and logical ‘day / month / year’ and even the users of fragmented regional dialects will get you.
Natural English: I would never say ‘Is there not a computer in your house?’
Instead ‘haven’t you got a computer?” |