The BBC News Style Guide

[Molly]

Might come in handy:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/15751/The-BBC-News-Style-Guide?term=english-reported-thought

[Mister Micawber]

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From the intro:

The BBC is listened to throughout the world and should be a beacon of correct English. (Bold mine)

Scary!
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Molly]

All beacon and eggs. :lol: Depends what they mean by correct English.

[Stew.t.]

Hey Dandies and their fancies

An alternative view of the Beeb, what ho;

"One solution, arrived at in the 1920s, was BBC radio. For the first time in British history it became possible for one pronunciation of English and one style of speaking to be defined as `good' or `proper' English. The BBC willingly took on the role under the great Lord Reith and `BBC English' became virtually interchangeable with `The Queen's English'. The emphasis was more on pronunciation but correct grammar was presumed and the Reithian BBC is largely responsible for the snobbish obsession, mainly centred in the middle classes, on how one speaks, rather than on what one says. This era ended in the 1990s, a victim of the advance of the democratic principle in British life. BBC Radio now revels in the use of regional accents, immigrant voices, slang and `grammatical diversity' in an attempt to gain new audiences among the young. (BBC Television gave up the battle long ago and accepts its role as a purveyor of middle-brow culture with large doses of American purchases.)" James Munson
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Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Molly]

We still have to figure out what the Beeb mean/s by "correct" here:

[Kati Svaby]

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Hello,

What's the difference between the verbs 'look', 'see' and ' watch' ?
BBC:ASK ABOUT ENGLISH

Karen Adams answers:

'Look', 'see' and 'watch' seem very similar, they all talk about different ways of using your eyes. However, there are two very important differences. It depends on how intend to look or watch and how intense the looking is. When we say 'see' we are normally speaking talking about things we can't avoid - so for example, " I opened the curtains and saw some birds outside." - I didn't intend to see them, it just happened. However, when we use the verb 'look', we're talking about seeing something with an intention. So, "this morning I looked at the newspaper" - I intended to see the newspaper.

When we watch something, we intend to look at it but we're also looking at it quite intensely, usually because it's moving. So, for example, " I watched the bus go through the traffic lights." "I watched the movie." We want to see it, we're looking at it intensely and it's normally moving.

When we use verbs of the senses, and this group, 'look', 'see', and 'watch' are verbs visual sense, there is usually a difference between intonation and no-intonation, so, for example, "I heard the radio." - I didn't intend to, it just happened, or, " I listened to the radio." - I switched it on to find my favourite programme. Similarly, " I felt the wind on my face." -I didn't intend to feel this, it just happened, or " I touched the fabric." - I intended to feel the fabric.

It's important when you find these verbs of the senses to gather them together and try to find the differences between them. Remember that when you look at words which seem to be similar it's important to find out exactly the differences between them because basically you can't really use them interchangeably.

Remember, 'see' - you didn't really intend to, it just happened; 'look' - you intend to do it; and 'watch' you intend to do it and you are looking at intensely, usually because it was moving.

Bye:
Kati Svaby