query for those who are British

[tigriswolf]

How would I phrase the following:


 Arthur and Neal finished out high school at their Aunt Victoria’s half an hour from London. Arthur went on to college, though he returned stateside for it. Neal decided to backpack around Europe for a few years.


The narrator is American, but he would use the correct terminology, I think.  Neal&Arthur are sixteen when they go to Britain, eighteen when they leave. 

Comments

[loveandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...

It's mostly the same. We say secondary school more than high school. You may also want to mention something about sixth form, we we get our A levels, as it's equivalent to US grade twelve, but it's not technically considered part of compulsory education in the UK (well, it hadn't used to be, I think it is now).

And, I think we're more likely to say university then college, but college should work just fine for what you mean here I think.

Hope that was helpful :)

[loveandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Wow html fail. :/

[tigriswolf]

Could two Americans go just to secondary school and/or sixth form?

Also, is there a graduation ceremony for the completetion of school?

[loveandthetruth.livejournal.com]

No there's no ceremony after school. We only get graduations for higher education.

I'm not sure what you mean by the first question?

[tigriswolf]

Could two sixteen year olds transfer just for those last couple years of school? Would their classes carry over?

I think I might just have them go to New England instead.

[loveandthetruth.livejournal.com]

Yes, they could. :)

[whiteted.livejournal.com]

Dont know if this helps, but we dont use the phrase - finished out high school- we would just say finished school.

[tigriswolf]

Even if the education is piecemeal: half in America, a few months off to deal with trauma, then completed in Britain?

I'm starting to think I may just change it to somewhere in New England. Or handwave it as the narrator doesn't care about being correct.