Him and I

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "bohcoo" <sydenmill@> 
wrote:
> >
> > > Potioncat:
> > > I'd suggest renting some British movies or TV shows and enjoy 
the 
> > > speech. You may not understand a word of it, but it's pure 
pleasure.
> > 
> > bohcoo wrote:
> > What a thoughtful suggestion, Potioncat. Thank you. I truly do 
enjoy
> listening to British accents - so elegant. However, I had never
> noticed the differences in the emphasis placed on words within a
> sentence before the Harry Potter movies and was just curious as to
> whether it was a British thing or a regional thing.
> >
> Carol responds:
> 
> I've noticed the same thing, especially in the earlier films. For
> example, Rupert Grint (Ron) says in SS/PS, "*She* needs to get her
> priorities straight," whereas I would say, "She needs to get her
> *priorities* straight." I seem to recall similar instances from 
other
> actors, but that one always sounds wrong to me, an indication that 
the
> actor is an amateur (and, of course, a child). Rupert has improved
> considerably since then.
> 
> Carol, glad to know that someone besides me has noticed the odd 
emphases!

Geoff:
I think this is a question of what you are trying 
to emphasise.  The way Ron is saying it is that it is 
Hermione who needs to get her priorities right - and no 
one else. Your emphasis would be that Hermione needs to 
get her priorities right - not her plans for dinner... 
if you see what I am getting at.

As a further example, some of us in the church I attend have 
a joke to while away the time. It is to take a sentence 
and say it several times, each time emphassing a different 
word which can completely change the drift of what we are 
saying. One of our favourites is "This is a very serious 
occasion". Try saying this as I emphaisise it and see what 
difference it makes:

*This* is a very serious occasion.
This *is* a very serious occasion
This is a *very* serious occasion
This is a very *serious* occasion

Each one carries a slightly different nuance. So to imply 
that there is only one way of emphasising a sentence is not 
correct - at least in UK English.

Geoff
Who is *still* writing from a public 
computer in the Isles of Scilly.
:-)