I've learnt something today

[CrapHacker]

Not very interesting to many except me and a few pedants out there.

But I do try to write my posts in half decent English, honest.

Straw poll - how many knew this.

The difference between practise and practice.

The spell checker on here keeps on showing practise as wrong, but is it?

I refer........

Is it practise or practice?

There is always the difficulty of recognising American English spellings and British English spellings with words like these.

Whether we like it or not, much of our language is now heavily influenced by American English spellings. We use both forms in British English – one is a verb (doing word) and the other a noun (thing).

Practise
This is the verb ‘to practise’ and also the adjective from that verb
EG
â– You are practising golf

Practice
This is the noun ‘the practice’
EG
â– Without enough practice, she would not get better at golf.

Good huh...

Apparently it's the same with license and advise;

In fact, the confusion arises with ‘practice’ and ‘licence’ mainly because they sound the same with the ‘c’ or the ‘s’. However, with ‘advice’ and ‘advise’, there is a shift in sound, so there is no confusion at all. We can use this to our advantage: another way of knowing which to use is to replace the ‘practice’ or ‘licence’ word you want with ‘advice’ or ‘advise’ – this will tell you whether you need the ‘c’ or the ‘s’ spelling.

So, in the following phrase, let’s say you are unsure which to write:

■I do not like this ‘practise/practice’.
Replace the word you want with ‘advice’ or ‘advise’.

■I do not like this ‘advice’.
So – you will need:

■I do not like this ‘practice’.

Well I thought it was interesting and important.

Now please don't mention all of the other spelling mistokes in this pist. I'm learning them tomorrow.

Honest.

 

[pokerjoke]

You need to get out more.
Ask the nurse if she can take you for a walk around the garden.

 

[DaveM]

Sorry mate but you have not used practice, as a noun in the phrase "Without practice, she will not get better at golf". But as an adjective.

 

[bobmac]

A doctor's practice perhaps?

 

[Imurg]

Just proves English is a bloody stupid language - how can you have 1 word, written 2 ways, that means 3 different things...
Write, Right (correct) and Right (not left)

Case for the Prosecution rests

 

[bobmac]

There's two others to think about too (all write, that's three)

 

[daymond]

What about rite? All right?

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Can the other bloke come back please? You're well boring!!!

 

[stevie_r]

Just proves English is a bloody stupid language - how can you have 1 word, written 2 ways, that means 3 different things...
Write, Right (correct) and Right (not left)

Case for the Prosecution rests

How about German where nouns can be one of three genders (masc, fem or neuter)? Three different words for the!

Found it very frustrating when living there, when my German got to conversational standard, to be constantly corrected for using the wrong gender.

 

[bobmac]

Found it very frustrating to be constantly corrected for using the wrong gender.

I get like that talking to Smiffy

 

[Slime]

Okay, picture this scenario.
Your mum is a seamstress and is busy sewing buttons onto a shirt.
Your dad is a farmer and he is busy sowing seeds in the fields.
Your mate arrives and asks where your parents are, you tell him that they are both s?wing.
If written, is there a correct way to spell it, or do you write that mum's sewing but dad's sowing?
English language, you've got to love it,

Slime.

 

[Shaunmg]

There is always the difficulty of recognising American English spellings and British English spellings with words like these.

Whether we like it or not, much of our language is now heavily influenced by American English spellings. We use both forms in British English – one is a verb (doing word) and the other a noun (thing).

Baring in mind

There is no such thing as American English or British English, just English

Or should that be bearing in mind