Monday, August 30, 2010

GRAHAMS GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #9

SLANG WORDS!

We find ourselves using slang words more and more frequently. Although we do not always realize that we are actually using slang, we need to become more conscious of this habitual behaviour, as it causes confusion in certain situations.
Being from Nova Scotia, I tend to over use the slang term, “Eh”. I did not realize it until I began tutoring ESL (English as a Second Language) to a couple of students from South Korea. One day, one of the young women asked me, “Eh? What is an ‘eh’?”
With the above being mentioned, I thought it would be interesting to list some of the common slang terms we tend to use, as sometimes it helps to visualize the things we need to correct.

  • Bluenoser - a resident of Nova Scotia
  • GTA - greater Toronto area
  • KD - Kraft dinner (processed cheese power, macaroni noodles)
  • Winterpeg - Winnipeg, Canada

Obviously I have not listed a vast majority, but the above are a few I have heard in the last couple of hours today.

GRAHAMS GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #8




Canadian VS United States Spelling of Words

I know, it seems odd that two countries that speak the same language would spell their words differently. Generally, Canadian’s use the same spelling rules as Great Britain. American’s do not.
Each post, over the next few days, will include a different letter of the alphabet, and which words are spelled differently between the two countries.

Common Differently Spelled Words: (C=Canadian & A=American)


Acknowledgement (C) Acknowledgment (A)


Armour (C) Armor (A)


Behaviour (C) Behavior (A)


Colour (C) Color (A)


Dependant (C) Dependent (A)


Endeavour (C) Endeavor (A)


Fibre (C) Fiber (A)


Glamour (G) Glamor (A)


Honour (C) Honor (A)


Humour (C) Humor (A)




Stay tuned for more!