Many English teachers and text books, still teach some words and expressions which are either old and out of date, or which have changed meaning over the years.
English is like the "Linux" operating system for computers - it's Open to the whole world for change and it's evolves continually.
So...it's important to keep up with the type of English which is really spoken by native speakers of English.
Many of the recent evolutions of the English language are related to certain words which have either become too formal in everyday situations, or which are only used in a romantic context nowadays.
For example you don't really say "You're welcome" anymore, unless you're in a very formal situation.
What would you say instead of "You're welcome" ?
Here's another example: You don't often hear a native speaker say that a girl or woman is "beautiful" or that a boy or man is "handsome".
So which words would YOU use to say that you like the physical appearance of a guy or girl?
I suppose I might describe a girl as "sweet" or my wife as "lovely". I do however use "beautiful", "handsome" and "you're welcome" quite a lot in various contexts.
You're absolutely right, Steve.
Many native speakers, and some teachers too, automatically go into antiquated textbook mode when faced with a language learner's question.
One typical example is when a learner asks about how to use the modal verb 'may', and native speakers insist that its main use is requesting permission, as in 'May I ....?'. It's a kind of knee-jerk reaction, based on memories aged schoolmasters, which bears no relation to how the language is actually used.
Thanks guys, but it was, of course, an unintentional mistake as I originally intended to write: "which used to be considered incorrect"!
I didn't check my modifications thoroughly before posting my article...naughty me!
It did make a good point to talk about though ;-)
