Which one to use and when? The current story I am writing is in British English. Should how you say certain things change depending on the language? i.e. If I was writing in American English, do I have to call the ground floor first floor?
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ground floor vs first floor
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The British call the street level floor the ground floor and the level above it the first floor.
If your characters are from another country they are going to think their native thunk. So, Americans would call the ground floor the first floor and the one above the second.
If your characters are from another country they are going to think their native thunk. So, Americans would call the ground floor the first floor and the one above the second.
I know that, but i was asking about the writing language. Does it matter if I am writing in British English, but calling the street level floor first floor?
I'm not sure what you're asking.
Do you usually speak/write in British English? Then the simple answer is, write what you would say in every day.
Or are you asking if it depends on the character? That answer's more complicated and we might be able to help with more details.
Do you usually speak/write in British English? Then the simple answer is, write what you would say in every day.
Or are you asking if it depends on the character? That answer's more complicated and we might be able to help with more details.
Why mention the ground floor or first floor at all? Is it necessary?
And mentioning either one per se isn't going to cause any issues unless you then go on to give the reader clues that you meant what they regard as the 'other' one - if you get what I mean.
And mentioning either one per se isn't going to cause any issues unless you then go on to give the reader clues that you meant what they regard as the 'other' one - if you get what I mean.
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Ground floor can only ever mean that, whereas first floor can be either the ground floor or the floor above it, so I'd go with ground floor.
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What if you had said, "does it matter if I am writing in British English, but calling crisps 'chips'?"
Yes, it matters. If you're using "first floor" to mean street level, you're not writing British English. Be consistent - either use British English throughout, or not. A mishmash is going to confuse readers.
ldlago
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Skylessbird,
What you call it would depend on how authentic you want your story to be. Many readers would miss a small detail like the one you are wrestling with, but a critic might not. If it matters to you, do the research, and be as precise as you can in every detail. It will be well worth the extra time it takes.
What you call it would depend on how authentic you want your story to be. Many readers would miss a small detail like the one you are wrestling with, but a critic might not. If it matters to you, do the research, and be as precise as you can in every detail. It will be well worth the extra time it takes.
I often find that the things I obsess over during planning mean practically nothing when the book is done. Call it the 'ground floor' and be done with it. Everyone will understand what you mean.
If you are writing in British English or your character uses British English, then use the British English terminology.
If you are writing in American English or you character uses American English, use the American English terminology.
That being said, as someone pointed out, "ground floor" wouldn't bother me as an American. First floor could cause trouble. I would, without thinking about it much, read "first floor" as ground level. A British person would more-or-less-automatically read it as "first floor above ground level."
This only becomes a real issue if it's REALLY important to know exactly the number of floors above ground level you are. For instance, I was on the third floor at a dorm in England, but I was at pains to stress to American friends that it was really the FOURTH floor by my reckoning, and NO LIFT (oh, the humanity!). But in most instances, it won't make enough of a difference for readers to notice or care, or else context will help ("he rushed in the door and up the stairs to the first floor"; "she had an office on the first floor with a window looking directly onto the sidewalk outside").
If you are writing in American English or you character uses American English, use the American English terminology.
That being said, as someone pointed out, "ground floor" wouldn't bother me as an American. First floor could cause trouble. I would, without thinking about it much, read "first floor" as ground level. A British person would more-or-less-automatically read it as "first floor above ground level."
This only becomes a real issue if it's REALLY important to know exactly the number of floors above ground level you are. For instance, I was on the third floor at a dorm in England, but I was at pains to stress to American friends that it was really the FOURTH floor by my reckoning, and NO LIFT (oh, the humanity!). But in most instances, it won't make enough of a difference for readers to notice or care, or else context will help ("he rushed in the door and up the stairs to the first floor"; "she had an office on the first floor with a window looking directly onto the sidewalk outside").
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This is not just in NY, but in other U.S. states as well.
I've seen Lobby and Ground used in the U.S. I've also seen numbers with a star signifying ground level. If two is ground level, there will be 1, 2, and 3, but 2 has a little star next to it.
I agree. I live in a ground floor flat. My upstairs neighbours live in a first floor flat. The two don't mean the same.
This can occasionally be true in Britain too... at least it is for me. I work on the first floor and can see directly to the pavement (and bike sheds) through my window because the building I work in is on a hill. The main entrance is on the ground floor which is lower down the hill and I have to go upstairs to get to my office and my desk is right at the uphill end of the building, so my window's at ground level. On the other side of the building, the canteen's on the ground floor but looks like it's the first floor because the ground on that side's lower down so the basement's at ground level.
Yes I walk up the hill every day. Even further now since I've ditched using the car to get to work so now I have to walk from the bus stop (right at the bottom of the hill) rather than the car park (half way up the hill, but still downhill relative to work).
Yes, hills are a thing I'm familiar with, and we have them here in America, too, as my sweaty self can testify after biking up one of those suckers--but what I gave was an example to clarify what I meant, so let's assume there *isn't* a large enough hill that ground level is different on one elevation of the building than it is on another.
Well I just posted it for interest... wasn't saying that this can't happen anywhere else or no-one else has hills. Just that it's interesting because I read your post and my office is in that situation even though it's on the first floor.
Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are both thrown out of a 10th floor window. Who hits the ground first?
ETA: disclaimer: obviously I support the removal of leaders by democrating means, not defenestration.
ETA#2: I also really, really, really, really like the word defenestration.
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Defenestration is a marvelous word. And a useful one, sometimes... did you know, the "Defenestration of Prague" refers to THREE SEPARATE EVENTS?? At least 2 of which were rather important to the world outside of Prague. (The 1618 defenestration kicked off the Thirty Years War.)
Important to know how many floors up you are, if you're thinking of defenestrating someone.
I knew 'Vamos echar la casa por la ventana' literally means to throw the house out of the window and is the vernacular 'Let's have a party', but I never knew what defenestration meant.
Same thing, only let's not have a party, I guess.
Same thing, only let's not have a party, I guess.
Defenestration really is such a wonderful world.
And use what your viewpoint character would use. Pretty simple.
And use what your viewpoint character would use. Pretty simple.