Is that tall woman British/English?

[hirashin]

Dear native English speakers,
which sentences would be used?
(a) Is that tall woman British/English?
(b) Is that tall woman a Brit?
(c) Is that tall woman a British/English person?
(d) Is that tall woman from Britain/England?

Thanks in advance.
Hirashin

 

[hirashin]

Would you please check my sentences?

 

[tomoni]

Any of these would be fine (though I would not use a "Brit", because to my North American sense of language, it feels a bit too casual/informal these days- please ask a "Brit" if they like to be addressed in that manner)

I should point out that while many people outside the UK and England think that the UK is synonymous with English/England (or being British is synonymous with being English), I believe that most people from the UK would have very strong feelings otherwise (with the possible exception of the English) .

Cheers

 

[Julie.chan]

The formal term for a British person is a "Briton".

England is a "country" of the United Kingdom (alongside Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), so it's an error to refer to the entire U.K. as "England" or to a non-English British citizen as "English". Referring to a Scotsman as "English" would be kind of like referring to someone from Nevada as "Californian". It is a mistake a lot of people outside of the U.K. make, unfortunately.

 

[hirashin]

Thank you for your help, tomomi and Julimaruchan. Tomomi san, may I ask you where you are originally from? Do you live in Japan now?

 

[Michael2]

I don't think any native speaker would ever use (c)

 

[hirashin]

Thanks, Michael2.

 

[tomoni]

I don't think any native speaker would ever use (c)

I agree, but there is nothing wrong with he sentence. I would add that -ish tends to imply personage so that

"Is that tall woman a British footballer?"
"Is that tall woman an American basketball player?"

Would likely "sit well" with NS.

 

[tomoni]

Thank you for your help, tomomi and Julimaruchan.

1) Tomomi san, may I ask you where you are originally from?

2) Do you live in Japan now?

1

… to my North American sense of language,

2) Yes

 

[hirashin]

Thanks, Tomoni san. I had misread your name. I'm sorry.

Would likely "sit well" with NS.

What's NS? Nova Scotia?

 

[tomoni]

Thanks, Tomoni san. I had misread your name. I'm sorry.

What's NS? Nova Scotia?

Sorry: NS = native speaker

 

[Michael2]

Structurally there is nothing wrong but semantically it is odd as you are repeating the noun. You would never hear anyone say "Hi, I'm an American person". Naturally, it would always be "I'm American" or "I'm from America". and semantically because you have already identified the noun as you are obviously referring to a person. Unless you are Green Day...

 

[hirashin]

Thanks, Michael2.