Letter: A question of correct English
Tuesday 23rd March 2010, 7:00AM GMT.
Letter: The word “upcoming” as in the upcoming election seems to have taken hold.
Newsreaders use it and your Ben Bentley even hyphenates it. Can any English scholar explain why the word “coming” should not be used instead?
Roger France
Muxton
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I think it’s down to semantics. “…the upcoming election” sounds better than “…the coming election”. I suppose forthcoming could be used as well. They’re all interchangeable.
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Can any scholar tell us why we should care?
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Roger, I’m just about to fall to sleep…zzzzzzzz
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Not that semantics have anything to do with sound …
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by then we will have gotten used to it
now there is a word i utterly hate
now ive gotten that of my chest
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Language evolves through many factors. Sometimes this is for the better and English English is less stuffy than say 30 or more years ago But we have also absorbed American, Australian, West Indian, and Asian versions of English as well as elements of other tongues. This can in my view be good but it can also lead to sloppy speech. There is also an element of lazy acceptance and willingness to allow changes to occur without challenge. Where upcoming arrived from I have no idea but “up” has developed an annoying life of its own with “listen up” and “next up” instead of simply listen and next. Sadly as middle age takes over I can become irritated by many and varied things but upcoming doesn’t bother me too much. Roger, I am no English scholar but your question made a pleasant change from the day to day discussion points.
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I don’t think the fall off of annoying UK media Americanisms is ‘going to happen anytime soon’. Complain to the BBC like I do!!
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I recently told my wife that I was to be forthcoming, it was actually a mistake I as I had lost count. It was actually my third coming and the fourth-coming was upcoming.
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As simon has said language evolves, nothing wrong with the introduction some see the introduction of of american ,australian etc as negative why ? . The very same complain whatever these two nations do or say . I found the best and amusing people to watch are the so called middle class trying to do posh talk with the upper class go to a reace meeting and pop in to the members section it is very very funny.
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Cannot you peeps see that the English as she is spoke is a Strategem devised many ages ago to drive our ancient enemy the French crazy! … come to “La Belle Province” to see how well we’ve succeeded………
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#5 Edwin
Gotten is actually Middle English but fell out of favour in this country during the 18th and 19th centuries. Much English as spoken today in the United States would be familiar to Victorian England. Melvyn Bragg and Bill Bryson (amongst others) have both written excellent books on the English language that I would recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
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