One thing I've been wondering ... for, oh, the last five or six hours...
soilent brad Send a noteboard - 14/06/2010 08:32:56 AM
I'm reading a book, "Hominids" by Robert J Sawyer, and it has this:
So ... is Robert J Sawyer crazy, or is a billion a completely different number in Britain?
"A billion is ... a thousand times a million?"
"That's right," said Mary. "At least here in North America. In Britain – no, forget it. Yes, a billion is a thousand million."
"That's right," said Mary. "At least here in North America. In Britain – no, forget it. Yes, a billion is a thousand million."
So ... is Robert J Sawyer crazy, or is a billion a completely different number in Britain?
soilent brad is PEOPLE!
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = EM2C <-- Define it!
"Uh...we don't support the Hannah Montana empire."
- My 6 year old niece
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = EM2C <-- Define it!
"Uh...we don't support the Hannah Montana empire."
- My 6 year old niece
British grammar
- 14/06/2010 07:15:43 AM
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Entities (like nations and companies) are considered to be in the plural in British
- 14/06/2010 07:38:05 AM
311 Views
One thing I've been wondering ... for, oh, the last five or six hours...
- 14/06/2010 08:32:56 AM
586 Views
Kind of but not really any more. But it's still different in continental Europe.
- 14/06/2010 08:36:40 AM
440 Views
Originally a billion was a million million, but we've given up on that one now. *NM*
- 14/06/2010 12:32:31 PM
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it might be an accent thing, but i think "was" sounds horrible in that context
- 14/06/2010 08:38:33 AM
382 Views
Singular nouns denoting groups can take plural verb agreement in British English.
- 14/06/2010 12:31:25 PM
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