PWBCSA

Does any one know the extent of use of double negatives in OZ, specifically Melbourne?

We are just about ready to send off our 136 application (hopefully tomorrow after getting 61 copies certified!) but I am becoming increasingly concerned about certain facts coming to light, mainly through this excellent web-site, concerning the non-perfectness of Australia.

My main concern is the use of double negatives. This is highlighted as a major UK crisis in various, quality, informative TV programmes like Wife Swap, Holiday Swap*, Trisha and other 'reality' programmes; which I try very hard not to watch, although I do enjoy the holiday one.

I can accept the fact that it won't be sunny everyday, we won't necessarily actually be better off financially, there may be drugs and crime, there will be more creepy crawlies and we won't be eating BBQ everyday but what I will not stand for is suffering an increased use of DNs.

I feel very strongly about this and am considering not sending our application unless I can be assured of a better understanding of basic English. I mean why move to the other side of the World just to hear more double negatives?

We spent 4 months in OZ a few years ago but I am afraid that we were having far too much of a good time to pay attention; how we learn. Obviously the problem in living there is that any issues will become far more exasperated.

Looking forward to any and all advice or thoughts.

Cheers,
Peter.


As a note. My wife is a primary teacher and blames the parents.

*Quote from last weeks episode.
Father says to son, whilst sitting at a posh dinner table in Dubai,-''I don wanna hear no noise from you''... what is the kid supposed to do?

kirsty&al

There aint no problem 'ere.

yvsie

don't worry about nowt.....it's all good mate!

Three Legs

Hi there,

The simple fact that you've asked this question suggests to me that you're a switched on type of person who comes across very rationally.

You've obviously thought things through and for that reason and that alone you should give it a try.

You're going in with your eyes open...like us.

We're not expecting the bed of roses some appear to think awaits them on the other side of the world. Quite the contrary, it's going to be bloody hard for the first 12 - 18 months we anticipate but we'll tough it out.

Go with your head.

Three Legs




It'll be 'right lad.

Donut

Thought that was the reason for moving to Australia...to escape the Political correctness of England!
Who cares....at least their happy!

rapitts

If you can compare Australia to the United Kingdom then be my guest..................

Australia is a million times better than the U.K.

Melbourne/Sydney are contained in the top 10 best cities to live in the world.................I dont think any cities in the U.K are even in the list.......oops, there are, position 4500000 !!!!!

Donut

I totally agree with you!
I'm an Aussie who's been living in England and I can't wait to get back home!
The only thing that I'm gonna miss is the cute little pubs with the nice Sunday Roasts...but even they are too smokey!
You definately cannot compare!
Sj

DagBoy

Interesting. I am a parent and blame the teachers.

Professional Princess

I realise you have thought about this long and hard but it is a strange reason not to move to Australia because of the use of double negatives.

If you have thought about everything else, weather, finances ect and can put up with the bad side of that, then its odd that the language could be a reason not to move there.

I live where half of my community cannot speak English. It's not safe to walk the streets at night, crime is rife and I fear for my safety when travelling to work.

When I move to Australia, if my only problem is with their grammar, then by god I shall be happy.

I want to live in their beautiful country, work hard and contribute to it.

As long as I am allowed to live my life and am prepared to fit in and be accepted as a local, I don't really care how they speak.

Live and let live and accept people for what they are.

Sorry, just my opinion.

Boomerang

After reading some posts i believe a reality check is needed when people say things like... "You can't compare Uk to Australia, this and that"... Im not going into the argument of Australia Vs Uk because its a topic that has been discussed over and over again, but please like someone said before, let's have a rational view, that's all.

Regards

PWBCSA

Very interesting. I am neither a teacher nor a parent and I blame the children. I can't understand why it is considered 'normal' for a child to be taught everything.

In my day (the 70/80's) we had to go and find out what we needed to know, we were also expected to know what it was that we needed to know. The only thing that we didn't know was that we needed to know everything that we needed to know for our future life and probably wouldn’t know exactly what it was we needed to know until we had the benefit of hindsight.

If children took the time to learn about double negatives then they wouldn't grow up using them! Quite simple really.

The same can be said about foreign languages. Why do children choose not to learn foreign languages at school...?

My nephew, who is three years old, still makes basic errors in his English vocabulary and pronunciation and hasn't even started writing yet. He can say hello in Spanish and Japanese... but that's it!

I suppose even he will start using double negatives soon as well.

DagBoy

Ignoring my flippant post above, on a serious note, I am afraid you are right. The double negative is, indeed, used here in Australia.
Actually, prepare yourself. You will also find that Australia suffers most of the same grammatical problems - and if you are a grammar pedant then you will have to bite your tongue.

There are badly placed or missing apostrophes, split infinitives and frequent references to stadiums and other incorrect plural forms.

Fewer and less cause the same confusion here as there and there is a horrible tendency of people here to use "I" and "me" interchangeably (and apparently at random).

Still, as they say in these parts,
"Grammars OK, it dont really matter, but. Eh?"


Cheers,

DagBoy

Deadmeat

'tis truely a complacent, overindulged world if anyone is REALLY that worried about the use of double-negatives.

I'll assume this is a wind-up ... but I hope there are more double-entendres in Oz than the UK though ...

Oh man, first Zippy and Bungle now this ... what a start to the day ... this place cracks me up sometimes

Pollyana

Ye Gods, I've heard it all now....pass the Nurofen and the wine bottle please..........

Stewie

Dunt know what everybodies on a baht. Theres nowt wrong wi language in this country. Tha wants to get th sen darn rood and si what the sey in ar local pub. Theres sum reight accents and double negatives gooing on darn dere! I'll tell the!