Thread: Who is a student?

Hi! so, here's another question: can a boy who goes to school be a student? Or the word "pupil" is necessary? Do you still use this word?
I've heard it's father formal.
P.S. is it possible to say "to graduate from school"? Or it should be uni, college? Thanks a lot!

ok, YES a boy can be a student, a student is a person that attends school. any school, college, highschool, middleschool. Pupil can be used, but it's not necessary, either word works for male or female hope I helped!

Originally Posted by Mr Cooper

Hi! so, here's another question: can a boy who goes to school be a student? Or the word "pupil" is necessary? Do you still use this word?
I've heard it's father formal.
P.S. is it possible to say "to graduate from school"? Or it should be uni, college? Thanks a lot!

I saw the phrase "a high-school student" many times.

Btw, here is a definition from Random House Dictionary:

Student 1. a person formally engaged in learning, esp. one enrolled in a school or college; pupil: a student at Yale.

As to "graduate from school", here we again have a difference between British and American English. In UK, you can graduate from a college or university. In US, you graduate from school as well.

In British English pupil is not formal. I prefer student, although that implies quite strongly at a university, because it makes me sound older!

Originally Posted by Oddo

In British English pupil is not formal. I prefer student, although that implies quite strongly at a university, because it makes me sound older!

heh, well here in canada..we dont ususally use the word pupil, only old people use that word!

In America we generally say student, which can mean male or female. In Britian they say pupil, which can also mean male or female. We can say pupil in America too, but it's less common and it sounds quite formal.

If you want to know what a British school pupil is, I suggest you read this:

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/content/sh ... on.teacher

Interesting. Funny and sad at the same time. I liked "I want to study fish, not count them".
Btw, it seems to me that the author uses both words as synonyms but "student" is used more frequently.