[ti:America's People and American People]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question
[00:05.44]from Shohei from Japan. He says:
[00:10.64]I would like to know the difference
[00:13.24]between "America's" and "American."
[00:17.04]For example, are there any gaps in meaning
[00:21.52]between "America's people" and "American people"? – Shohei, Japan
[00:26.84]Hi Shohei,
[00:28.76]The two phrases have the same general meaning.
[00:33.40]Both describe people who are from America
[00:37.44]or are living in America.
[00:40.28]But there are a few minor differences.
[00:45.24]One difference between the phrases is their grammar.
[00:50.40]The word "America's" is a proper noun in possessive form.
[00:56.04]A proper noun is a particular name for a person, place or thing.
[01:02.88]The apostrophe -s after "America" shows possession.
[01:08.72]So, "America's people" means
[01:11.80]the people of, or belonging to, America.
[01:17.52]However, the word "American" is a proper adjective.
[01:22.64]In other words, it is an adjective formed from a proper noun.
[01:29.64]In the expression "American people," the word "American"
[01:34.92]is an adjective that describes the noun "people."
[01:40.04]"American people" is the more common way
[01:43.76]to describe people who are born in America
[01:47.80]or become American citizens.
[01:52.24]On the other hand, the phrase "America's people" is more literary.
[01:59.04]It is most often found in publications and documentary films,
[02:05.92]and on things like historical websites.
[02:10.72]There is also one small difference in meaning:
[02:15.52]"America's people" can mean everyone who lives in America,
[02:20.84]including some who may not officially be U.S. citizens.
[02:27.76]It can also refer to the nation's immigrant history.
[02:33.80]So, when a publication or film uses the phrase,
[02:39.32]they may talk about the many immigrant groups
[02:43.88]that make up the nation.
[02:47.28]And that's Ask a Teacher for this week.
[02:51.08]I'm Alice Bryant.
[02:52.84]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM