which one is correct??
 

Hello everyone. i would like to ask you about something very confusing for Asian language speakers. I dont know which one is correct below.

1. Canada is an English "speaking" country.

Or

2. Canada is an English "spoken" country.

Please help me!

takahiro,

number 1 is correct: "Canada is an English "speaking" country."

hope that helps
eric

hi, Eric. thanks for the reply. English is still hard... i should've been born in an English Speaking Country.

Re: which one is correct??
 

English is hard, but so is Japanese or Korean. I lived abroad for a long time and I probably dont have a knowledge of the language like you do in English. Just keep studying!

Re: which one is correct??
 

Takahiro,

"Canada is an English-speaking country" is correct. The word speaking is acting as an adjective describing the word "country". We use the present participle form (-ing form) when the word has an active meaning.

Oh, I had to check my English Usage book, so thanks for teaching me ;)

To use "spoken", you could make a passive sentence:

"English is spoken in Canada."

It's passive because we don't tell who the actors are, or who exactly speaks English in Canada. In the case we know it is people and not, um, dogs or polar bears :D

Re: which one is correct??
 

Canada is an English "speaking" country is correct....we speak English in Canada.....(I am Canadian)
Cheers Jade

Re: which one is correct??
 

Don't forget that Canada also has French as an official language, it is a biligual country. All products in stores have English and French on them. I live in B.C. and we have lots of French Immersion schools where kids are taught by teachers using French from day one of Kindergarten. In Grade Three they start introducing English reading and writing as a small part of their day. As English is their first language kids seem to manage ok. By High School they have all English classes except for Social Studies, French and PE. They graduate as ready to pursue higher education in either English or French.
There are also some kids who go to late Immersion when they get to Grade 6. Their classes are in French from Grade 6 to high school and then the same as above.