How good is your English vocabulary?

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

*smirks*

On the other hand, the fact that I had to google how to take a screenshot yet again is preserved for all eternity.... :redface:

You're a Godess. You humble me.

Reply 81

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by Kvothe the arcane

You're a Godess. You humble me.

Oh, you.

It's just my job. You should worship the mighty wordsmith that is the bear. (And also Mr CLR, dammit. :angry:

)

Reply 82

TheGuyReturns

16

I know words. I have the best words.

Reply 83

Doones

OP

21

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

Mr CLR just got 30,500. Spheres. :frown:

Reply 84

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by jneill

It's ok. I'm used to being the intellectual also-ran in the house. :frown:

Reply 85

Doones

OP

21

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

It's ok. I'm used to being the intellectual also-ran in the house. :frown:

But he doesn't rescue puzzled students from UCAS confusion. You are still the superhero.

Reply 86

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by jneill

But he doesn't rescue puzzled students from UCAS confusion. You are still the superhero.

Actually, he has done. He has an account on here. But he couldn't stay the course. And thank you for the compliment, sweetheart. :colondollar:

Reply 87

Indeterminate

3

Shakespeare, eh? Not even close :lol:

Screen Shot 2016-07-14 at 20.22.36.png411.4KB

29625.

Top 0.19%

20,300

Apparently everyone on this site is in the top 0.1%

Seems legit

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 90

Tsrsarahhhh

19

Lol I have the vocal of a 10 ye old child apparently :frown:

Reply 91

tinomazibs

10 year old American kid here. Recently got accepted at East Anglia tho. hmmmmm

Reply 92

jeremy1988

13

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

You're American, also, and this test has a transatlantic style which will suit you more than it does us. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's not a very UK English style of test.

Well, I didn't select the test. It's not as if I deliberately gave myself an unfair advantage.

I personally thought "dowager" sounded very European, because I only heard it used once before in an old movie about Ireland. I knew because of that movie that it referred to a widow with title or property.

I have noticed that people in the UK seem more likely to avoid using complex or unusual Latin words as substitutes for native words, and to use them incorrectly if they try to do so. Whereas we seem to have retained and expanded that pool of words.

For instance, I remember someone telling me that signs in the UK read "Way out" instead of "Exit." I also remember a lot of Latin-based legal terms becoming obsolete in the UK and being replaced with native English words, which didn't happen here.

I'm thinking that European intellectuals gave up trying to impress each other with their knowledge of Latin a long time ago and chose to stick with plain language, but us Americans never got the memo and still think stringing together a sentence full of obscure Latin words with English spellings is clever.

Is that what you mean, or is it something else? That's the main thing that stood out to me... that most of the words they used were just obscure Latin words transformed into English words by academics rather than native English words, and that I was demonstrating my knowledge of Latin more than my knowledge of English.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 93

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by jeremy1988

Well, I didn't select the test. It's not as if I deliberately gave myself an unfair advantage.

I personally thought "dowager" sounded very European, because I only heard it used once before in an old movie about Ireland. I knew because of that movie that it referred to a widow with title or property.

I have noticed that people in the UK seem more likely to avoid using complex or unusual Latin words as substitutes for native words, and to use them incorrectly if they try to do so. Whereas we seem to have retained and expanded that pool of words.

For instance, I remember someone telling me that signs in the UK read "Way out" instead of "Exit." I also remember a lot of Latin-based legal terms becoming obsolete in the UK and being replaced with native English words, which didn't happen here.

I'm thinking that European intellectuals gave up trying to impress each other with their knowledge of Latin a long time ago and chose to stick with plain language, but us Americans never got the memo and still think stringing together a sentence full of obscure Latin words with English spellings is clever.

Is that what you mean, or is it something else? That's the main thing that stood out to me... that most of the words they used were just obscure Latin words transformed into English words by academics rather than native English words, and that I was demonstrating my knowledge of Latin more than my knowledge of English.

You seem to think I was being critical and implied something to take offence at. I wasn't doing anything other than making an observation. It was an American test (lackluster, for example, instead of lacklustre) and there seemed at the time to be something in the choice of words which seemed more geared to the US use of language, but since I only looked at it once, very quickly, I can't remember more than that. There is sometimes a stylistic difference in the way Americans and English users employ language which is felt instinctively, in the same way that it is easy to spot the differences between the visual presentation of UK and US websites and magazines, but without having the test in front of me, I can no longer recall what examples there were to quote in this case.

You'll find plenty of signs marked 'EXIT' in any British cinema or theatre.

Apparently that of a 10 year old. Guess it just goes to show how much I read (outside of course-related books anyway)

Reply 96

Kvothe the Arcane

20

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

You're American, also, and this test has a transatlantic style which will suit you more than it does us. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's not a very UK English style of test.