We were taught to use “amount” for anything which could not be counted, and ‘number’ for anything which could be counted.

And the same for “much” and “many”; “little” and “few”.

Amount, much and little are used with a singular noun; number, many and few with a plural noun.

But the standard of English in Malta has deteriorated rapidly. The mobile phone is making acceptable many errors in English that we were penalised for when we were at school.

[Daphne – I don’t think the standard of English in Malta has deteriorated. I remember a Malta in which the huge mass of people spoke and understood no English at all, a relatively small percentage spoke and understood it badly/fairly well, and a truly minuscule number of people spoke and wrote it perfectly. All we have now is a situation win which a large mass of people has acquired a poor knowledge of very basic English and uses it without embarrassment or any desire to improve, creating the perception that the standard has deteriorated. Actually, it has improved: from no English at all to really bad English. That’s a step up.]

Most people who learn Portuguese or Spanish don’t learn it because they are interested in Spain or Portugual.

Most of them are interested in Latin America. Likewise the Chinese, the Arabs, the Japanese, the South Americans, and even those living in former British colonies don’t learn English because they are interested in the UK.

English is important because of the US. British English is not the most important standard nowadays.

Regarding ‘purity’ this is not a very compelling argument. Both standards have changed.

Did you get the “invite”?

To me its snobbery and the wrong register in certain situations. I do understand your point; I am just asking you to move away from labelling Americanisms as some kind of inferior form. I too used to do this until I acknowledged that it was wrong, no less because some of the worst English is spoken in the home of English – the South East.

Also, using ‘that’ in the letter was wrong only because it was the wrong register. But to say that it is wrong in all situations is incorrect. In fact, in many circumstances — even I do not find it all that formal — using ‘who’ could be incorrect. Register is key as it is the difference between being socially intelligent, knowing how to vary your language according to the situation, or just being a snob i.e. socially inept.

I fear the Irish may originally be responsible for this although I stand to be corrected.

Yes, I hate ‘amount’ too – with a passion.

Exactly. Finally someone who can understand the subject without the prejudice of snobbery and South-Eastern bias that often predominates in their arguments.

English is more diverse in the confines of England’s territorial boundaries than it is outside them.

As Peritocracy rightly points out the various accents around the world encapsulate and conserve the accents of the time. It is no surprise that the various accents of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe all share similarities as they received English around the same time. The same can be said for other languages too and the colonies.

As usual you can’t just admit you are wrong and let it lie.

I think you’ll find that in the new ‘British English’ edition Oxford, 2007, Point 494, Page 477, Third Edition, you will find the same point made.I have the book on my lap right now so there is no way you can deny this. In any case just because it is an international edition it is still British English. Did you assume they only sold the books in North London or did you not think that they might want to turn a profit by selling it outside the poshy snob-stronghold of that dialect that came to be known as English?

By the way, the very thing that made English so rich is its dynamism and ability to change with the times.

[Daphne – I routinely admit that I am wrong, but only when I am wrong. The fact is that I speak and write English idiomatically and have learnt it the same way. Instead of rummaging around in the rule books, a person is best off acquiring an ear for the language and for how different people use it, and of course, reading. Languages are not games of bridge or football: you do not check what is idiomatic/correct by referring constantly to the rule book (though that helps in many cases). If it sounds wrong and isn’t used by those who speak and write the ‘industry standard’ British English (or for that matter, even Canadian English or Irish English – Canada and Ireland have given the world some of the most glorious pieces of contemporary fiction) then don’t use it yourself. It’s wrong even if the grammar books tell you that it’s ‘technically right’ and makes your own use of the language sound inept. Take it from me: anybody who says or writes ‘people that’ automatically flicks a switch in the head of people who don’t. It’s a linguistic signifier.]

The course lasts 10 weeks

or

The duration of the course is 10 weeks

or

Course duration : 10 weeks

No. It is attributed to George Bernard Shaw.