They too signed up for French classes but fund it unfathomable because, if you can't tell a direct object from an indirect object it's impossible to do the agreements with past participles which is basic to French grammar. They never even got as far as the subjunctive before they gave up.
The French have no difficulty learning the grammatical rules of their language, and so do we. When you learn a language naturally you learn what is correct and what isn't, even though you cannot actually put those rules into words, which you do not need to be able to do. That is why I think languages should be taught naturally, not by learning a lot of rules.
Spelling? There’s a tiny place near here with two official road signs, one at either end of the village. At one end, it’s Youlgrave. At the other it’s Youlegreave. In another village there’s a signpost directing you to Youlgreave.
And here are yet more variations, found in old books.
YOULGRAVE or YOULGREAVE ?
Giolgrave
Yolgrave
Jalgrave
Hyolgrave
Hyolegrave
Yolgreff
Yoleg
Yolegreve
Yolegrave
Youlgraue
Welegreve
Yoelgreve
Oelereve
Yelegreve
Yeolegreve
Yolgreave
Yolgreve
Yollegreve
Jol've
Zolgrelf
Yollgreve
Yollgrewe
Yollegrewe
Youlgreve
Youlgrave (1492)
Zolgreff
Yolgreyva
Yolgreyve
Yeolgreave
Youlgreave (1595)
Yellegrave
Yollogreve
Yollograve
Yeollgreave
Youldgreave
Yograve
Isgrave
Yalgrove
Yolegreue
Jolegreue
Iolegrave
Jholegreve
Yelegrave
Yellegrave
Iolgrave
Yholgreve
Yelgreve
Zolgreve
But it‘s all a waste of time as the locals call it Pommy.
This made me laugh. I used to live in Norfolk which has its fair share of locally pronounced villages, but up here in Aberdeenshire it's on another level. There's a small town near here called Aberchirder, variously pronounced with a hard ch, a soft ch, or an h sound with no indication of the c in the middle. But it makes no difference how you say the ch because the locals call it Foggie!
When out and about we now tend to see longish village names and simply decide the local pronunciation is probably Bob
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.
Sorry Alan Clark but I have seen some horrendous written grammar and sentence structure from native French speakers, usually younger, who have clearly not benefitted from French language education.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I apologise and take it back, Obelixx. It seems benefitted it is the accepted UK spelling and benefited is American but I follow the rule that where the stress occurs at the front of the word, such as with benefit or abandon, the final consonant should not be doubled in forming the past participle. Seems I am wrong! Off now to search for humble pie.
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When out and about we now tend to see longish village names and simply decide the local pronunciation is probably Bob
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Grammar.html?id=0CGsDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y