Rude or Not?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar, Pronunciation
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Harry Potter says:"But, Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says platform 9 3/4. There is no such thing, is there?"

In China, it is rude for a child to call an adult his name. Is it okay for a kid to call an adult his name in Britain or America or Canada etc.?

Plus, how to pronounce 9 3/4? nine and three fourths?

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 2,674 • Replies: 39

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@oristarA,

nine and three quarters...

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@Region Philbis,

Region Philbis wrote:

nine and three quarters...

Thank you.

When reading , can "and" be omitted?

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@oristarA,

Yes, it is ok for youngsters to call adults by their names. Many people even call their parents by their names. And it is nine and three quarters

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@oristarA,

"Hagrid" is actually the character's last name (his full name is Rubeus Hagrid). He goes by "Hagrid" and by that point, he'd been called "Hagrid" by many other people and had introduced himself as such.

In my area of America, children are supposed pay attention to how an adult introduces him- or herself. Usually, an adult should be addressed as "Mr./Mrs. Lastname" unless he or she says "Oh, you can call me Firstname."

"Hagrid" is unusual there because he is addressed by just his last name. Almost all of the other adults in the Harry Potter books are addressed either by their first names (Sirius) or with an honorific (Professor [character's name] or just Professor).

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No, Oristar, you cannot omit the "and." Properly said, 9 3/4 would be said as "nine and three quarters."

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@oristarA,

When speaking numbers, the "and" separates the whole part of the number from the fractional part, so it is nine and three quarters or nine and three fourths. (Both three quarters and three fourths are correct.) If you were speaking or writing 1,234 then it would be one thousand tw0 hundred thirty four with no "and" because there is no fractional part.

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@oristarA,

When I was young, you called an adult, Mr. or Mrs...................... Over the years, this has changed a bit, with children calling adults by their first name.

Personally, unless the adult has specifically said that he wanted to be addressed by his first name, that it IS rude.

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@Phoenix32890,

Tradition here is that well known adults are addresses as Mr. or Mrs. and then their first names, so Mrs. Phoenix not Mrs. 32890.

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@Phoenix32890,

Phoenix32890 wrote:

When I was young, you called an adult, Mr. or Mrs...................... Over the years, this has changed a bit, with children calling adults by their first name.

Personally, unless the adult has specifically said that he wanted to be addressed by his first name, that it IS rude.

The child shoud not put himself into a position of inferiority to the adult.

David

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@engineer,

engineer wrote:

If you were speaking or writing 1,234 then it would be
one thousand tw0 hundred thirty four with no "and" because there is no fractional part.

I dissent.
I say: "one thousand two hundred AND thirty four."
Having lived in New York, Arizona and California
I 've always heard everyone express it that way.

David

David

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@engineer,

Children here Use the title Mr or Mrs. Mr Chang or Mrs Cholmondoly unless otherwise indicated except where uncles and aunts are concerned
Uncle Dave and Aunty Helen are coming to visit

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@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

I dissent.
I say: "one thousand two hundred AND thirty four."
Having lived in New York, Arizona and California
I 've always heard everyone express it that way.

I hear that often as well and the grammar gods haven't struck anyone down for it (but that doesn't make it correct unless correct is defined by common usage). How do you write it on your checks? Do you write "one thousand two hundred and thirty four and 00/100"? When you have the fraction with it you can see how awkward it becomes with two ands in there.

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@engineer,

engineer wrote:

How do you write it on your checks? Do you write "one thousand two hundred and thirty four and 00/100"?

one thousand two hundred and thirty-four xx/xx

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@ehBeth,

I've never seen that technique. Do you write thirty four xx/00 also or do you use and in that case? How would you say 1234 3/4?

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@engineer,

thirty four xx/xx - no and

one thousand and thirty four and three-quarters - two ands

regional variant? dunno but that's what I'm used to hearing and seeing

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@engineer,

As I think about it - that was how we were taught to write out our cheques back in Grade 5 or 6 (mid 1960's)

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I dissent, i'd write one thousand thirty for and XX/00. I'd never put "and" withing the written ciphers.

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@ehBeth,

It might be a regional variant, but I do hear people put an and between the hundreds and tens space, so it is somewhat widespread. I was taught the opposite: only an and where between the whole number and the fraction. My father is a math major and he was very insistent. Smile

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@engineer,

Quote:

(but that doesn't make it correct unless correct is defined by common usage)

What else is there that defines "correct", E?

One could say, for emphasis, like when someone is rubbing it in or highlighting how much they won at the track or in a draw.

one thousand and two hundred and thirty four."

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