Proper (UK) english help needed from an American?

Question

So I'm American living in Central America. My kids (elementary school age) speak perfect English but in the all spanish school they go to, they are required to take English class. So as I was helping my first grader with her homework it says this...... "Please copy the next words 3 times"

Or "please look over the next sentences"

To me this sounds wrong because I was always taught " copy the following words...." or "please look over the following sentences"

The school defends itself by saying that is how its done in the UK and that's the format they follow. Is this correct?

Answer 1

In the UK the correct term would be "the following" you would use "the next" if you're referring to a list of sentences or words

Answer 2

Not really, that sounds really posh. Wouldn't it be "Copy these words 3 times" or "Look over these next few sentences". Maybe Irish version of English is different but those sentences sound wrong.

Answer 3

No, that is not correct in British English. Our usage is exactly the same as the US here: you can only use 'next' before a singular, or a specified quantity, not before a generic plural.

So the following would be OK:

the next word

the next five words

but 'the next words' is definitely not idiomatic English.

Answer 4

I dare say that some people would say "next" but I always say "following". Most of the people I know would say "following".

The school is not wrong.

You, however, are right.

There is a difference.

Answer 5

That's not how we say it in the UK  - I theenk.

Answer 6

Both versions sound fine to me, with no possibility of misunderstanding.  Most things can be said lots of different ways in English

Answer 7

arent they both pretty much the same?

both sound ok to me!

Answer 8

I would say

copy the following words

read the following sentences

Answer 9

That's not how it'd be written in England. The sentence would be 'copy the following words' as you suggested.

Perhaps, since it is an all-Spanish school, the person who wrote it is not quite fluent in English whether it be the type of English spoken in England or that spoken in America.

Answer 10

To me both formats seem fine, although "following" seems a little more natural.

The format "look over" definitely has an American flavour to me,however.

I am surprised that a schoolin Central America claims to teach UK English - I always advise my Latin American friends and family to learn the US variety (although I am English myself).

Answer 11

Seems fine to me.

Answer 12

In formal British English, you would generally only use 'next' in this context if it is followed immediately by a number, in other cases you would use 'following'.

eg.

You would use: "Please read out the next five names", or "Please read out the following names." rather than "Please read out the next names"

In less formal English you might use a demonstrative instead:

eg. "Please read out these names" or "Copy out this sentence."