We Are Family | Learn English | Vocabulary Builder

[guiguitte14]

I love your videos I'm gonna use this one with French beginners. Also, I prefer this one to the kitchen one for instance because the music in the other is just too much : too loud, too fast, too stressful!

[MrKevinb1989]

There are only 31 comments for such an amazing video lol

[kevinevans50]

i kike it a lot

[Dei987]

PERFECT!!!

[mithnibrige]

Come baby Asian ladies #lushfmlk.info#

[allahservant1]

thank you so much, keep up the great job.

[3dim4ever]

best video

[ketenoko]

i am from Georgia, so i dont know english very well :| your videos help me thank you very much :)

[ketenoko]

really good :)

[michelesiddi]

MUY BIEN ... ... ..

[Linguaspectrum]

Thanks for commenting.

[vivitolo]

Hello,

i think Scarlet is the Eldest and not the oldest.

Great Job anyway

[Linguaspectrum]

Thanks for raising an interesting question.

In the case of Scarlet in the video we should use oldest not eldest because eldest is used attributively, that is before a noun, and we would have to say that "Scarlet is the eldest child".

However, "eldest" is only used when the person has two or more siblings; something Scarlet doesn't have.

We use "elder" when the person has only one sibling, like Scarlet, so I could have said that "Scarlet is the elder child." i.e. she is the elder of the two.

[vivitolo]

i understand

many thanks for your explanation

[silviajanette]

HiRichard, so, I have two older brothers-really. Then, can I say either my oldest/eldest brother? And, according to this piece of information, "...I have two brothers, the oldest is ...."right? tks

[Linguaspectrum]

Hi Silvia,

Yes, that's right. As you have more than one sibling, you can refer to the oldest as your eldest/oldest brother. Eldest is becoming less used and oldest is now the dominant form, especially among younger speakers. I think this "culling" of words happens in many cases where we have a choice of two words that can be used interchangeably. Language is in a constant state of change.

[moonfades2009]

These learning videos are the best on YouTube. I have never seen videos so helpful like these... Thanks a lot.

[Linguaspectrum]

Thanks for your comment. Who am I to disagree?

Don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

Best wishes,

Richard

[Linguaspectrum]

I forgot to mention my website. You can find it by clicking on any link in the video information.

If you think these videos are helpful, wait till you see what I've got on my site to make them really helpful.

Regards,

Richard

[rockmusicM]

it is normal not to speak with your mother-in-law when you're separated :P

great job

[Linguaspectrum]

Thanks for your comments, Maria.

Best wishes as always,

Richard

[cliffenigma]

Wow!!!! It is so informative and well structured that family members can't be explained in another way. Luckily it contains all the impacts of the modern times: even 'separated' and 'be going to get divorced' parents can be found in it. It was a great idea to dress 'Scarlet' in a red dress.

Congratulations!

[Linguaspectrum]

Thanks for your glowing comments, Rita. They are appreciated. I had to think of a way to introduce all the names we use for family members in as engaging way as possible, and I had to take into account modern societal problems faced by families. I was going to have everyone colour-coded but decided against it. It was the red dress which suggested the name Scarlet. It also suggests a "scarlet woman" (a woman with low moral standards) which might be why they're divorcing.

[cliffenigma]

Thank you for your reply. I have read 'Scarlet Letter' - but now it hasn't come to my mind. It's so funny - and real, of course - that the soon divorced husband doesn't speak to his mother-in-law :-))) as in real life :-)