Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Here you are / here it is

"Can you pass me that book over there"
Option A:
"Sure, here you are"
Option B:
"Sure, here it is"
Personally, I heard both forms and use them indifferently, but as I'm 
not a native English speaker I may not be aware of slight differences.
Are there any differences (formal/informal usage, BrEn/GenAm)?
Should I prefer for any reason one of the two forms?
Why am I asking this? A friend of mine told me his English teacher (who 
is British) told him Form A is correct while Form B is not.
Any explanations?
Massimo.

Massimo Fabbri ha scritto:

I am in agreement with you: either is colloquially acceptable in AmEng. In
fact, if anything, I would say form A is *less* correct because it says
"Here you are" which, technically, literally, makes no reference to the
book itself. (But don't get me wrong; both are equally acceptable here.)
If I wanted to be exceedingly formal, I would probably reply with something
like:
Yes, of course. <period> Why? Because the question was: Can you pass me
that book...?  The answer, therefore, is "Yes, [I can] [of course]."
Assuming that you can do so. If not, then the answer could be something
like "No. Get it yourself, you lazy twit!" :)
-- 
This is my opinion of modern, colloquial, American English. 
If you feel the need to e-mail me, un-not my address first.

 wrote in message 
news:1ul1e5nuijr4c.w...@40tude.net...

'Sure' still has an American tinge , so Joey's the man to listen to here .
Over here in the Old Country , my first reaction was 'Nothing to choose 
between them' ; on reflection , though I certainly wouldn't say B was wrong 
, I'd probably always use A ; I'd use B (handing over the book) in response 
to something like 'Have you seen my book anywhere ?'
In some inexplicable way , the 'you'  seems to me to acknowledge the 
personal request that was made .
Mike 


Thank you for the replies.
Now, let's forget for a moment my specific example (it was not the same 
sentence my friend and his teacher discussed about) and let's just focus 
on "here you are" / "here it is" while handing over something.
The conversation could have been like this:
"Have you seen my book?" - "Here it is" / "Here you are"
"Can you pass me that book?" - "Yes, of course. Here you are" / "Yes, of 
course. Here it is" (concerning my example with "Sure": yes, I watch too 
many Hollywood flicks on DVD)
If I understand, both forms are correct and can be used with a slight 
preference for "Here you are" in BrEn depending on the context and a 
slight preference for "Here it is" in AmEn.
However, there may be cases where "Here it is" cannot be used.
Example: I'm on a taxi and about to pay for the ride. The taxi driver 
goes: "47 Euros" and I say (handing over a 50 Euro note) "Here you are, 
keep the change". In this case, I cannot say: "Here it is" because 
there's no "it" to refer to.
On the other hand, if I'm at the counter in a shop, after paying, I 
could say to the cashier: "Excuse me, you forgot my change" and he could 
reply: "Oh, I'm sorry. Here you are" OR "Oh, I'm sorry. Here it is". 
Both forms can be used in this case, can't they?
Massimo.

 to something like 'Have you seen my book anywhere ?'
Stavo per scrivere la stessa cosa, ma ho desistito dopo la risposta di Joey
(e perché non ne ero proprio sicuro...).
Bye, FB
-- 
In any case, if you say 'I gotta go' at an important job interview you're
contributing to being allowed just that privilege.
(Tony the ice man on it.cultura.linguistica.inglese)

 "Have you seen my book?" - "Here it is" / "Here you are"
OR


 Both forms can be used in this case, can't they?
Yes.


 "Sure, here it is"
"Can you pass me that book over there?" è il tipo di domanda che mi tenta
sempre a rispondere "Yes, I can. Shall I?", perché quando io imparavo
l'inglese britannico "can" in questo contesto era giudicato scorretto.
Doveva essere "Will you..." oppure "Would you...". 
I tempi sono cambiati e oggi "can" sembra ammissibile anche in BrEng.
-- 
Xakero
Voltaire, asked on his deathbed to renounce Satan: "This is no time to make
new enemies".

 wrote in message
news:oh5v34sm4ae0$.19j1gfv2l871$.dlg@40tude.net...

I think that in many cases where "Here you are" and "Here it is",
"Here you go" is also often used, at least here in the USA.
Joe from Massachusetts

 "Here you go" is also often used, at least here in the USA.
"There you go" should also be common.
Bye, FB
-- 
Mrs. Palmer, in her way, was equally angry. 'She was determined to drop his
acquaintance immediately, and she was very thankful that she had never been
acquainted with him at all'. (Jane Austen)

 I tempi sono cambiati e oggi "can" sembra ammissibile anche in BrEng.
L'esempio in questione era volutamente di tono molto informale e, sì, 
anch'io a scuola ho imparato a usare "Will you" o "would you" in questi 
casi, ma l'esperienza pratica sul campo (sia UK che US) mi ha insegnato 
che nel parlato c'e' spazio per forme anche molto diverse fra loro e d 
acio' che si impara a scuola, anche avendo a che fare con "well educated 
native English speakers".
Non solo: ho anche imparato che alcune regole "rigide" che mi avevano 
insegnato a scuola, non erano poi così rigide. Così ho incominciato a 
mediare fra le regole imoparate e l'uso comune con cui mi è capitato di 
confrontarmi, cercando di discernere caso per caso (ie dubiterei della 
correttezza sintattica e grammaticale del parlato di uno scaricatore di 
porto, anche in Italiano del resto, con tutto il rispetto per la 
categoria). Su alcuni aspetti grammaticali e sintattici cerco di essere 
sempre corretto. Per quanto riguarda invece gli aspetti semantici, la 
scelta e l'uso di parole o espressioni, tendo a farmi 
influenzare/contaminare da cio' che sento.
Qui pero', più che sullo specifico contesto, volevo concentrarmi sulla 
correttezza / interscambiabilità delle espressioni "here you are" / 
"here it is" nel porgere un oggetto a qualcuno e capire se ci sono 
differenze sostanziali o meno. Mi pare di no, dopo tutto.
Massimo.

 "here it is" nel porgere un oggetto a qualcuno
[...]
Sì, ma poi il filone va, giustamente, pe' fatti suoi.
Ciao, FB
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