Round vs. Around

Round vs. Around Round vs. Around Round vs. Around By Maeve Maddox One of the differences between American and British English is the usage of the words round and around. Americans use around in contexts in which most British speakers prefer round. The word round has five grammatical functions: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and preposition. The fighter was able to go another round. (noun) We watched as the runner rounded first base. (verb) Do you want a round plate or a square one? (adjective) The bridge was out, so we had to go round. (adverb) The tiger ran round the tree. (preposition) Round came into the language as a noun meaning â€Å"a circular object.† At various times, the â€Å"circular object† was a racecourse, a ring, and a coin. In a text from 1325, round is the word used for a diadem encircling the head of a man in a painting. Chaucer used round in the sense of a globe. In Macbeth, Shakespeare used round as a word for a sovereign’s crown. Around was formed from the noun round by adding the prefix a-, a variation of the prefix on-, creating an adverb that meant â€Å"in a circle.† In some contexts, British speakers use round and around interchangeably; for example, either â€Å"He put his arm round her,† or â€Å"He put his arm around her.† Otherwise, according to a note in the British English section of Oxford Dictionaries, there’s a general preference among British speakers to use round for â€Å"definite, specific movement,† and around in contexts that are less definite. For example, She turned round. A bus came round the corner. She wandered around for ages. The computer cost around  £3,000. According to a rumor circulating around the track, he’s using steroids. American usage sometimes reflects British usage by using round, but around is more common. Although the Oxford note says that in most contexts, â€Å"round is generally regarded as informal or non-standard,† I haven’t found anything in Merriam-Webster or the Chicago Manual of Style to indicate that using round the way the British do is â€Å"non-standard† in American usage. It may be old-fashioned, but it is not unknown in American writing: By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson, â€Å"Concord Hymn,† 1837 I should like if my sisters are well and all the people round the neighborhood. letter from Peter Van Wagener (son of Sojourner Truth), March 22, 1841 The usage is still seen in emails and web comments by American speakers: We live downtown and I take them round the neighborhood, A mother talking about taking children trick or treating in Sacramento, California. One of the latest scams going round is that someone will stop you and ask if you are interested in perfume, email debunked on Snopes.com/. The strange form ‘round crops up in both British and American contexts, but as round is not a shortening of around, and as there’s no law against the American use of round to mean around, the apostrophe makes no sense in either dialect. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingPreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

How far did the liberals lay the fondations of the welfare s essays

How far did the liberals lay the fondations of the welfare s essays How far did the Liberals lay the foundations of the welfare state? The welfare state was set up in 1945, after the second world by the Labour government. It ensured that people would be looked after from the cradle to the grave. Some historians would argue that the Labour government should not be given all the credit for founding the welfare state but that the Liberals in 1906-1914 had already laid the foundations. In 1906 the Liberals took over government, most of the Liberals still believed in Laissez-Faire but a small group of new Liberals believed the government should carry out more social reform. Two of these new Liberals were David Lloyd George and Winston Spencer Churchill. David Lloyd George was welsh and came from a working class background and because he had experienced poverty first hand he sympathised with the poor and he wanted to help them. Thanks to the surveys that were carried out by Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree the liberal government decided to pass a series of reform acts. The first to help was children as Rowntrees poverty cycle showed that it was mostly children that were suffering, so this was the first area that the Liberals passed reforms in. The first act they passed for children was The School Meals Act 1906. This meant that children got fed breakfast at school so that they could concentrate during the school day and that they were guaranteed to have at least one good meal a day. The second act they bought in was The Medical Inspections 1907. This meant that all children that were going to school had to get medically inspected for such things as height, weight, eyes, ears and teeth. There was one last reform that the Liberals passed for children; this was The Childrens Charter 1908. This act bought in a lot of acts and joined it as one. This reform banned children from doing certain things, for example children under 16 were not allowed ...

SECURITY AND STABILITY IN THE GULF, 1979-2003 Essay

SECURITY AND STABILITY IN THE GULF, 1979-2003 - Essay Example The may come into an agreement with a certain nation to help fight violence among others. For example, in 1990s, United State government, intervened on a number of occasions for humanitarian reasons; sending troops to the Balkans, northern Iraq, and Somalia to succor refugees, feed the hungry, and otherwise alleviate suffering There are many reasons why countries come together to form multinational coalitions, whether it is meant to be on short term, long term, or upcoming dealings, restoring peace and order is basically the main reason. A long term coalition involves formation of an alliance that is not affected by future changes such as leadership takeover and will always exist as long as cases of uncertainty situations arise. For a multinational coalition to be effective there has to be a certain command chain that is clear to both parties. This is important especially in situations where the nations have to involve the army in their efforts of achieving desired peace and order. Decision making should be done by certain known individuals in order for the forces to move in one specific direction (Kahn 430). It might be objected that the betterment of humanity is not the only reason for alliance formation. Some countries may have hidden agendas in their alliances such as extracting of minerals from the d eveloping countries or attacking a certain specific nation. However, it is only few nations which can form alliances for such selfish reasons. Another factor that can stimulate the multinational coalition to achieve its desired aims is by equitable sharing of responsibilities. Responsibilities may include war resources such as tankers and jets, the required human power and technology. In addition, responsibilities may vary depending with the coalition size. A big coalition makes it considerably difficult to manage and maintain clear effective strategies as compared to smaller coalition. The rules