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ESL forum >
Ask for help > vacation or holidays
vacation or holidays
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vardaki
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vacation or holidays
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Help please:
When we use vacation and when holidays? Or is the same?
For example: Summer vacation or summer holidays?
Thank you!
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8 Apr 2010
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douglas
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Good question because it is different in the US and the UK.
Vacation is mostly a US word and we use it to talk about the days we take off from work and/or travel (in the UK these days are called holidays).
Holiday in the US usually indicates a "legal holiday" meaning the day is free from work by law, for example: Christmas Day, New Years day, etc (these are called bank holidays in the UK).
Douglas |
8 Apr 2010
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PhilipR
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Vacation = holiday(s)
Use vacation if you prefer AmE, holidays if BrE. Same goes for elevator/lift, sidewalk/pavement, color/colour etc. You can use either, but I think it would be best to stick to either AmE or BrE and not mix them, especially in academia. BTW, most if not all speakers will understand both.
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8 Apr 2010
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Malvarosa
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When do we have to use the plural, that is, what is the difference between
I go on holiday
I go on holidays |
8 Apr 2010
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PhilipR
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The correct expression is I go/am on holiday.
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8 Apr 2010
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yanogator
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Surprisingly, Douglas left something out. In AmE, holiday can be a legal holiday or a religious holiday (Christmas Day is both). He did acknowledge this, of course, by saying "usually".
Bruce |
8 Apr 2010
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