|
Author |
Message |
|
TAGS:
|
|
|
Manager
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 161
Schools: CBS, MIT, Kellogg, Wharton
Followers: 3
Kudos [?]:
6
[0], given: 5
|
British English v. American English [#permalink]
 17 Nov 2007, 18:28
I am applying to both US and UK schools and something just struck me. When I write my essays for the UK schools should I actually use British English? For example, should I write "generalisation" and not "generalization"? How about "reorganisation" v. "reorganization"?:) "Favourable" v. "favorable"?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 570
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Followers: 8
Kudos [?]:
71
[0], given: 3
|
I guess as long as you don't mix British and American English, you should be fine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CEO
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2998
Followers: 48
Kudos [?]:
390
[0], given: 210
|
Re: British English v. American English [#permalink]
17 Nov 2007, 19:00
I would recommend that you use British english for the UK schools. It is pretty easy to set language settings in word.
raptr wrote: I am applying to both US and UK schools and something just struck me. When I write my essays for the UK schools should I actually use British English? For example, should I write "generalisation" and not "generalization"? How about "reorganisation" v. "reorganization"?:) "Favourable" v. "favorable"?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manager
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 161
Schools: CBS, MIT, Kellogg, Wharton
Followers: 3
Kudos [?]:
6
[0], given: 5
|
[quote="KingKREEP"]I guess as long as you don't [i]mix[/i] British and American English, you should be fine.[/quote]
I am writing in American English. However, in one of my essays I am discussing an elective called "[b]Globalisation[/b] and the Impact of Global Business". Should I just keep it this way? :)
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 4319
Location: Back in Chicago, IL
Schools: Kellogg Alum: Class of 2010
Followers: 68
Kudos [?]:
679
[0], given: 5
|
Use their name for classes as taken from course book/website. I would stay with your normal way of writing. I am sure they are used to Americanized spellings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 570
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Followers: 8
Kudos [?]:
71
[0], given: 3
|
I second what river said. For the course names, use the spellings used by the university brochure/website. Anyway, you are enclosing the name within double quotes. So that should be OK.
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMAT Club Legend
Affiliations: HHonors Diamond, BGS Honor Society
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 5881
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2009
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V45
WE: Business Development (Consumer Products)
Followers: 196
Kudos [?]:
1364
[0], given: 7
|
I used British english because thats the way things should be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
Joined: 18 Sep 2006
Posts: 963
Location: Chicago, IL
Schools: Chicago Booth 2010
Followers: 6
Kudos [?]:
24
[0], given: 0
|
rhyme wrote: I used British english because thats the way things should be.
go back to italy you foreigner 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manager
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 161
Schools: CBS, MIT, Kellogg, Wharton
Followers: 3
Kudos [?]:
6
[0], given: 5
|
rhyme -- do you normally use British English, or you used it specifically for your UK applications?
KingKREEP - Actually, I [i]italicized[/i] the course titles :)
Thanks all
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 570
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Followers: 8
Kudos [?]:
71
[0], given: 3
|
raptr wrote: rhyme -- do you normally use British English, or you used it specifically for your UK applications?
Ignore him. He's been here so long he's gone cuckoo! Just kidding! While I do differ with him on this particular topic, rhyme is absolutely invaluable when it comes to essays - style and content. Italicized, quotes, whatever...just do something to show that the word/phrase is different from the rest of the essay. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMAT Club Legend
Affiliations: HHonors Diamond, BGS Honor Society
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 5881
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2009
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V45
WE: Business Development (Consumer Products)
Followers: 196
Kudos [?]:
1364
[0], given: 7
|
raptr wrote: rhyme -- do you normally use British English, or you used it specifically for your UK applications? KingKREEP - Actually, I italicized the course titles  Thanks all I'm actually being a bit silly.
When writing a serious paper I (tend to) use British English because, frankly, it got beat into me while I attended a British boarding school years ago. Most of the time it just comes out on its own actually. I used it in my essays because it comes out naturally, not in fact because I think its better. The reality of it is, it doesn't make any difference at all, though certainly you should try to be consistent. Just pick whatever seems more natural to you....
My attempt at humour was actually the response my professor gave me when I complained that he had corrected various spellings in a paper i handed in... .
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intern
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Posts: 3
Followers: 0
Kudos [?]:
0
[0], given: 0
|
Apart from the usual "or" vs "our" stuff, there are many cultural differences. Eddie Izzard captures this with a tongue in cheek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0onquIv89g
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manager
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 161
Schools: CBS, MIT, Kellogg, Wharton
Followers: 3
Kudos [?]:
6
[0], given: 5
|
rhyme -- It is funny you should say that. I am not a native speaker and being from Europe I first learned British English. Then, when I came to the States for college, my English Comp professor would always correct my British spellings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 983
Location: Hong Kong
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Technology
Schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - Class of 2010
Followers: 10
Kudos [?]:
129
[0], given: 10
|
Re: British English v. American English [#permalink]
05 Jan 2008, 05:02
I correct everyones English in the office. I make it British (Commonwealth) English :D... including the Americans in the office.
I go by the stance of Documentation -> Commonwealth English, Code -> American English.
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMAT Club Legend
Status: Um... what do you want to know?
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Posts: 5463
Location: SF, CA, USA
Schools: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
WE 1: Social Gaming
Followers: 49
Kudos [?]:
309
[0], given: 14
|
Re: British English v. American English [#permalink]
05 Jan 2008, 14:32
I still spell things like "travelling" and "daemon" the British way... for some strange reason.
_________________
****************************
GMAT Club Knowledge Vault:
http://gmatclub.com/forum/123
Haas Ambassador
http://gmatclub.com/forum/128-t62555
Kryzak's Profile:
http://gmatclub.com/forum/111-t56286
Member Essays:
http://gmatclub.com/forum/103-t50969
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMAT Club Legend
Affiliations: HHonors Diamond, BGS Honor Society
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 5881
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2009
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V45
WE: Business Development (Consumer Products)
Followers: 196
Kudos [?]:
1364
[0], given: 7
|
Re: British English v. American English [#permalink]
05 Jan 2008, 15:22
|
|
|
|
|
|
SVP
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 1855
Schools: The Duke MBA, Class of 2009
Followers: 14
Kudos [?]:
176
[0], given: 2
|
Re: British English v. American English [#permalink]
05 Jan 2008, 20:15
when i lived in france, I had to take English...as in ESL english...hurray for lockstep nationalized education! Anyway, my professor, who was french, would correct my stuff to make it english. whatever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: British English v. American English
[#permalink]
05 Jan 2008, 20:15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Moderators:
Michmax3, shovitdhar, MBAgirl2010, billyjeans, MDF, getgyan, losttraveler, mc, OasisGC, jumsumtak, RogerDodger, whiplash2411, threestripes, GMATLA, milias, aerien, highhopes, scorpionz, asimov, redjam17, crackHSW, jko, hunterashmore, highwyre237, Dbalks, nktdotgupta, kingfalcon, boogs, GoBruin, shorttheworld, ariel, jb88, theK, CobraKai, helpmehelpme, staind, mappleby
|
close
