onsdag 1. februar 2012

The language

The novel is written by Jane Austin, he published the book in 1813. It is a long time ago the book was written; therefore from a teenager’s point of view I can say that the language is quite old and difficult.

The book is written in a very formal form. Many words and expressions are used that most people today don’t know the meaning of. There are also a few words you wont find in the dictionary as well. 

The book does also have a lot of dialogues between the main characters and also some letters. This makes it more easy to understand and does also help the reader to understand what each person thinks.

By reading this dialog you will soon understand that it was not written in this century.

*I shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza.
- That you certainly shall.
(From Pride and prejudice, page 132)


GRAMMAR
Shall and will are both modal verbs in English used to express propositions about the future.

Will is typically used in all persons to express simple futurity:

*I will grow old some day.
*Will they be here tomorrow?

Shall can also be used for this purpose in the first person (with "I" and "we"), and this usage has been presented as compulsory by some prescriptivist grammarians of English:

*I shall grow old some day.
*We shall all grow old some day.

Shall is used in a more formal way, today the will form I used the most. In the book you can hardly find the will-form. Even in the movie you will soon notice that the English that is spoken is very formal, and unlike the English we speak today.

Even though it is a bit difficult book, it is worth reading it. You will definitely learn some new words and expressions, and it is also interesting too see how the English language has change the last two hundred years.

Written by Lava

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