Bad spelling

[irmamar]

Usually I study British English, but this year I have a subject of American Literature. I have prepared my word processing for BrE, but with this subject I find words that usually I spell in another way. For instance, all the words ending in -ise, are ending in -ize; or I wanted to write 'neighbour', because I'm get used to write it so, but my book says neighbor and my word processign marks it as if it was wrong.

Well, I don't mind my word processing, bu my teachers. My question is if I wrote something with American spelling in a British English exam (or vice versa), is it considered a great mistake or just something that is "somehow" acceptable. What do you think?

Thanks in advance

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

my word processign marks it as if it was wrong.

were subjunctivo

Originally Posted by irmamar

if I wrote (subjunctivo)something with American spelling in a British English exam (or vice versa), is it considered a great mistake or just something that is "somehow" acceptable. What do you think?

Thanks in advance

I think it would not be considered as any kind of bad mistake if you wrote, say, labor instead of labour. Similarly, -ize instead of -ise would hardly be a mistake, considering that a lot of English words end in -ize anyway, and not many people know the 'rules'. (It depends on the etymology - very generally if the word is borrowed from French, it ends in -ise, but if it comes directly from Greek, it copies the Greek -izo and becomes -ize. But who the hell would know this? ).

I would think you have nothing to worry about, but avoid the obvious spelling differences, for example nite for night , or donut for doughnut .

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

were subjunctivo

I think it would not be considered as any kind of bad mistake if you wrote, say, labor instead of labour. Similarly, -ize instead of -ise would hardly be a mistake, considering that a lot of English words end in -ize anyway, and not many people know the 'rules'. (It depends on the etymology - very generally if the word is borrowed from French, it ends in -ise, but if it comes directly from Greek, it copies the Greek -izo and becomes -ize. But who the hell would know this? ).

I would think you have nothing to worry about, but avoid the obvious spelling differences, for example nite for night , or donut for doughnut .

Vaya con el subjuntivo que no usáis (siempre se me olvida)

Well, I don't know these obvious differences (nite for night ). I'm sure I won't make a mistake with it

Thanks

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Usually I study British English, but this year I have a subject of American Literature. I have prepared my word processing for BrE, but with this subject I find words that usually I spell in another way. For instance, all the words ending in -ise, are ending in -ize; or I wanted to write 'neighbour', because I'm get used to write it so, but my book says neighbor and my word processign marks it as if it was wrong.

Well, I don't mind my word processing, bu my teachers. My question is if I wrote something with American spelling in a British English exam (or vice versa), is it considered a great mistake or just something that is "somehow" acceptable. What do you think?

Thanks in advance

Depende en su profesor. Sería una buena idea preguntar su catedrático lo que piensa. Hay algunos pedagogos muy tenaces en seguir las reglas de deletrear de su región. Aunque no veo la gran importancia en eso, si estás estudiando inglés británico será mejor enfocar en el estilo de deletrear los ingleses por mantener consistencia y nada más.

[pjt33]

Si es para el CAE de Cambridge, dicen lo siguente:

Varieties of English

Candidates’ responses to tasks in the Cambridge ESOL examinations are acceptable in varieties of English which would enable candidates to function in the widest range of international contexts. Candidates are expected to use a particular variety with some degree of consistency in areas such as spelling, and not for example switch from using a British spelling of a word to an American spelling of the same word in the same written response to a given task.

Fuente: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/...e_hb_dec08.pdf página 4

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by poli

Depende en su profesor. Sería una buena idea preguntar su catedrático lo que piensa. Hay algunos pedagogos muy tenaces en seguir las reglas de deletrear de su región. Aunque no veo la gran importancia en eso, si estás estudiando inglés británico será mejor enfocar en el estilo de deletrear los ingleses por mantener consistencia y nada más.

You're right, but I don't have much relationship with my teachers, they are hundreds of kilometers far away

My problem is with AmE, because I know that my BrE teacher would allow me to say 'realize', instead of 'realise', and my English knowledge is based on BrE. But would my American Literature teacher allow me to write "colour" instead of "color"? That's the question

[poli]

I really don't think it will be a problem unless the American English professor focuses on fairly unimportant details. I assume most ESL teachers are pleased if their students write English coherently and will not strike the student down for something small like writing colour instead of color.

[irmamar]

Thanks, Poli. Sorry, pjt, I didn't see your answer, that seems quite logic.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks, Poli. Sorry, pjt, I didn't see your answer, that seems quite logical.

El inglés distingue entre el sustantivo y el adjetivo.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks, Poli. Sorry, pjt, I didn't see your answer, that seems quite logic.

Originally Posted by pjt33

El inglés distingue entre el sustantivo y el adjetivo.

Ok, I have an idea. Between you guys.

Irmamar will write exclusively in English and you in Spanish. And you both correct each other.

That's the only way Irmamar will get her fix of English grammar, and you will hone your skills in Spanish.

What do you guys think?

[pjt33]

Bueno, en general escribo en inglés a menos que esté contestando a alguien que no creo que vaya a entender, así que a mi no me costará nada.

[laepelba]

Yes - I would definitely ask the teacher. There is often a certain half-joking tension between Brits and Yankees about English usage.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Bueno, en general escribo en inglés a menos que esté contestando a alguien que no creo que vaya a entender, así que a mi no me costará nada.

Excelente. Teniendo en cuenta de que este foro es para aprender español, principalmente.

[pjt33]

Pues si miro por arriba dice en letras grandes "Diccionario, foros, referencia de inglés. Todo para ayudarte a hablar mejor inglés". Pues no sé si pone algo distinto para los que conectan desde RU o EEUU, o que tienen sus browsers configurados para preferir el inglés.

Oye, Lou-Ann, ¿qué es eso de medio-chistoso? Lo decimos con toda sinceridad...

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Pues si miro por arriba dice en letras grandes "Diccionario, foros, referencia de inglés. Todo para ayudarte a hablar mejor inglés". Pues no sé si pone algo distinto para los que conectan desde RU o EEUU, o que tienen sus browsers configurados para preferir el inglés.

Debe ser eso entonces. Siempre lo he visto como Spanish language learning forums

[irmamar]

Yo veo foros para el aprendizaje de inglés y español. Si no es así, me cambiaré de foro.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Yes - I would definitely ask the teacher. There is often a certain half-joking tension between Brits and Yankees about English usage.

Half-joking? I thought it was deadly serious.