Thread: 2 strange sentences

The English grammar and vocabulary which is used in public speaking, radio and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers (and also -unless the lessons are run by Americans-as a model for learners of Englsih as a foreign languge) is know as 'standard British Englsih'.


shouldnt this sentence be like this:


The English grammar and vocabulary which is used in public speaking, radio and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers

is know as 'standard British Englsih' (and also -unless the lessons are run by Americans-as a model for learners of Englsih as a foreign languge).


An interesting feature of the class structure in Britain is that it is NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY, relative wealth or the apperance of it which determines someone's class.


what does this NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY means?

не просто, а в основном???



















?

Originally Posted by olgaa

The English grammar and vocabulary which is used in public speaking, radio and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers (and also -unless the lessons are run by Americans-as a model for learners of Englsih as a foreign languge) is know as 'standard British Englsih'.


shouldnt this sentence be like this:


The English grammar and vocabulary which is used in public speaking, radio and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers is known as 'standard British Englsih' (-unless the lessons are run by Americans-as a model for learners of Englsih as a foreign languge).

Your way is better (with the correction of "known" and removal of "and also", but... it's nonsense, unless you're talking exclusively about English in Britain.

Originally Posted by olgaa

An interesting feature of the class structure in Britain is that it is NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY, relative wealth or the apperance of it which determines someone's class.


what does this NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY means?

Not only, and not mostly.
Neither exclusively, nor primarily.

Also, please, don't put zillions of line breaks in pointlessly, it's a waste of space.

Originally Posted by olgaa

An interesting feature of the class structure in Britain is that it is NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY, relative wealth or the apperance of it which determines someone's class.

what does this NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY means?

It means there are things that are more important than money to determine class, like family lineage (who your family is) and Title. The poor Earl of West-by-South-West Worcestershire Sauceington has a higher ranking than a millionaire garbage man.

Olgaa --
The sentence is more or less grammatically correct as originally written (but it would not get past any editor unscathed). It breaks down like this:

The English grammar and vocabulary which is used

-in public speaking, radio and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers

-(and also -unless the lessons are run by Americans-as a model for learners of Englsih as a foreign languge)

is know as 'standard British Englsih'.

That parenthetical part relates to "is used": it is used 1) in public speaking... and 2) as a model for learners.

"An interesting feature of the class structure in Britain is that it is NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY, relative wealth or the apperance of
it which determines someone's class. "

What word of the sentence does "it" refer to? (I cant comprehend...)

I take it it's just refering to : The class structure in Britain. Unless there was something in a previous sentence it was refering to.

It relates to the first it too:

"An interesting feature of the class structure in Britain is that it is NOT JUST, OR EVEN MAINLY, relative wealth or the apperance of
it which determines someone's class. "

no, the second 'it' refers to relative wealth.

Definitely.

Hah, that would be the previous something...