ENGLISH

FOR AUTOMOTIVE
STUDENTS (2)
 UK vs US
We know American-English speakers call the parts of their cars different names
from their British-English counterparts, but why?
TERMS IN BE AND AE
BRITISH ENG AMERICAN ENG
 Aerial  Antenna
 Bonnet  Hood
 Boot  Trunk
 Indicator  Turn Signal
 Number/registration plate  License plate
 Petrol cap  Gas tank
 Tyre  Tire
 Windscreen  Windshield
 Wing  fender
 WHY THERE IS ANY DIFFERENCE?

 Nowadays we’re very used to Britain and America interchanging ideas, TV

programmes, products, work and much more – but at the birth of the automobile
over a century ago things were much different.
 Fast-forward a century and a half to the birth of the horseless carriage and
American English was firmly a language in its own right, so when designers either
side of The Pond (and beyond) were naming parts of their cars according to what
purpose they served, or what they looked like, they were setting off from a
separate starting grid.
 e.g BONNET vs HOOD

 It’s no surprise the part of the car covering the delicate mechanicals from the elements
is named after headwear – and the split between the US version (hood) and the British
one (bonnet) shows more similarity in thought than it does difference in name.
 The British ‘bonnet’ of course comes from the dainty headwear – preferred by women
– in the early days of automotive design. Choosing a mainly feminine article fits with
the European notion that all objects have a gender, indeed the French ‘La voiture’
shows why British car lovers often refer to their beloved motors as ‘she’ and ‘her’.
 Over in the States the same idea was adopted, but a smaller influence from European
gender-assignment to objects meant a much more neutral term was chosen. ‘Hood’ fit
the bill – enveloping the engine and ancillaries nicely and more in keeping with a
‘hood’ on an outfit, rather than merely a cap or similar.
 e.g SALOON vs SEDAN
 So why ‘saloon’ for the Brits? The word saloon was used for the luxury carriages on a train, and
so suited the ideology of the early motor manufacturers. The word of course existed before that,
and was used for a place to sit or gather – usually in a nice environment and with good company.
The word itself, if traced back, finds its way onto mainland Europe and the likes of ‘salon’ in
French and before that ‘sala’ in Italian – meaning a hall, which is where people would gather.
 The American word sedan is a different idea, coming from the notion of sitting down rather than
gathering together. A sedan existed before the automobile and was a mode of transport for the
well-off, usually carried by servants and with a seating area for the passengers in the middle. It
was often also referred to as a ‘litter’ – which could well have ended up being the name
Americans took instead. This idea of the passengers being in a comfortable large box between
two functional parts to the front and rear nicely fit the 3-box design, and so the name stuck.
Interestingly if traced back far enough we end up in Italy again, with the word ‘sedia’ meaning
‘sit’.
PASSIVE VOICE

 The exterior parts are needed to timely cleaning and servicing in the garage.

The sentence above is using Passive Voice (to be + V past)

We often use Passive Voice to describe a process.
We use (to be +Vpast 3rd) and ‘by’ to state who or what does the action.
Let’s try the exercise….

1. German cars ______ (sell) all over the world.

2. Nowadays, the spare parts can ______ (buy) from the local dealers or online
shop.
3. Tyres should ______ (replace) before they are wear down completely.
4. The interiors _______ (design) by computer.
5. Almost every car ______ (produce) to meet the customers’ specifications.
 YOUR TASK:

 Read the text about Car Production above, and then find some Passive Voice on
the text!
 Fill in the diagram (series of events) on slide 12 according to the text!
 Try to do the exercise on slide 13!