I have booked a Joker (a movie) ticket for 10th of May

[thehammer]

I can't arrange the sentence. Can you help me?

1- I have booked a Joker (a movie) ticket for 10th of May.

I know I can say 'booked a movie ticket'

 

[emsr2d2]

I can't arrange write the following sentence correctly. Can you help me?

1- I have booked a Joker (a movie) ticket for 10th of May.

I know I can say 'booked a movie ticket'.

I've booked a ticket for/to see The Joker for May 10th.

 

[jutfrank]

You can't 'book' tickets. You buy tickets. Your ticket grants you entry and entitles you to a seat.

I've bought a ticket to see Joker on the tenth of May.

 

[emsr2d2]

I book tickets on a regular basis.

 

[jutfrank]

I book tickets on a regular basis.

I don't think that makes sense. You can book a seat at a cinema, but you can't book a ticket.

 

[emsr2d2]

I can and I do!

 

[Barque]

I use "book tickets" too but I see Jutfrank's point.

 

[White Hat]

I don't think that makes sense. You can book a seat at a cinema, but you can't book a ticket.

Try this. ("Hello. I'd like to book five tickets in the stalls for Phantom of the Opera, please." (from 'Englisch In 30 Tagen' by Sonia Brough and Carolyn Wittmann))

 

[5jj]

I can and I do!

So do I.

 

[jutfrank]

I can and I do!

So do I.

Try this. ("Hello. I'd like to book five tickets in the stalls for Phantom of the Opera, please." (from 'Englisch In 30 Tagen' by Sonia Brough and Carolyn Wittmann))

Look, I'm saying that I consider it wrong. I'm not denying that some people say it and I'm not telling native speakers what to say.

Surely you all understand my point? The buying of the ticket is the booking. You can't reserve a ticket—the ticket is evidence of the reservation.

 

[Barque]

Yes, I tend to agree. You book a seat at a cinema or on a flight or for a play by buying a ticket. You don't book the ticket. The ticket is what you get when you make a booking. Makes sense.

 

[White Hat]

Look, I'm saying that I consider it wrong. I'm not denying that some people say it and I'm not telling native speakers what to say.

Surely you all understand my point? The buying of the ticket is the booking. You can't reserve a ticket—the ticket is evidence of the reservation.

Check out this discussion. ("I don't have a problem with 'book a ticket'. If I say "I've booked three tickets for Friday night's show", it's obvious that I'm talking about the seats that I've booked. The tickets represent the seats. It doesn't strike me as wrong or even sloppy. If it's good enough for the Oxford, Cambridge and Longman dictionaries, it's good enough for me. I think it's fine." (by Wordy McWordface (Standard Southern British English))

 

[5jj]

Surely you all understand my point?

Yes. You're saying that your logic-based judgement trumps actual usage.

 

[Barque]

There are also posts from members called Egmont and Dojibear who have the same point of view as Jutfrank.

I don't think anyone's denying that "book tickets" is not used.

This is one of those situations where actual usage (even if not strictly correct) has become customary.

Crossed with #13.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes. You're saying that your logic-based judgement trumps actual usage.

Actually, I'm suggesting that most people agree with me.

 

[5jj]

Well, the writers of the following don't:

He booked tickets for his trip to New York. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/book_2
The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/book
I've booked us two tickets to see "Carmen"/I've booked two tickets for us to see "Carmen". https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/book?q=book_1
I can book tickets for the concert next week.

book - Wiktionary

en.wiktionary.org

To arrange for or purchase (tickets or lodgings, for example) in advance; reserve. https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=book
"The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family". http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/book

 

[jutfrank]

In none of the dictionaries cited in post #16 or any others I'm aware of does it mention that the verb 'book' is synonymous with 'buy'. The dictionaries are quite clear in their definitions: it means something along the lines of 'reserve something/somebody in advance'.

Anyway, I think we've shown that the disagreement on this point makes it unequivocally questionable usage. It's best we don't actively encourage learners to use questionable language, especially such language that many (I'd guess a majority) feel is incorrect.

 

[5jj]

In none of the dictionaries cited in post #16 or any others I'm aware of does it mention that the verb 'book' is synonymous with 'buy'. The dictionaries are quite clear in their definitions: it means something along the lines of 'reserve something/somebody in advance'.

What has that got to do with anything? We are talking about your claim:

You can't 'book' tickets.

Anyway, I think we've shown that the disagreement on this point makes it unequivocally questionable usage.

Far from it. It appears to be commonly used and accepted.

It's best we don't actively encourage learners to use questionable language,

That is nothing but your opinion. You have so far produced no evidence to justify it.

especially such language that many (I'd guess a majority) feel is incorrect.

Another claim without evidence.

 

[jutfrank]

What has that got to do with anything? We are talking about your claim:

We're talking about meaning. We're discussing whether 'book' is synonymous with 'buy'. Let's be careful not to confuse meaning with usage here.

Far from it. It appears to be commonly used and accepted.

Yes, it's accepted by some but not others. That's precisely the issue, isn't it?

That is nothing but your opinion. You have so far produced no evidence to justify it.

Justify what? That I feel that learners shouldn't use it? Why would I need to do that, as an EFL teacher? Or do you mean you want evidence that it's questionable? Look at this Quora page here. The only other discussion of this particular issue I can find is the one that White Hat linked in post #12, in which three people seem to be saying it's unacceptable against two.

Another claim without evidence.

What kind of evidence do you feel you need? Ngram data? Frankly, the best evidence that I can point to is the dictionary evidence. In none of the dictionaries I've looked at is 'purchase' clearly listed as a synonym of 'book'.

 

[5jj]

We're asking whether 'book' is synonymous with 'buy'.

I am not. I am questioning some of your claims:
1. You can't 'book' tickets.
2. I'm saying that I consider it wrong.
3. I'm suggesting that most people agree with me.

Let's be careful not to confuse meaning with usage here.

I have made no claims about meaning.

Yes, it's accepted by some but not others. Isn't that what we're agreeing on?

I certainly don't agree that I am accepting something that is incorrect.

Or do you mean you want evidence that it's questionable? Look at this Quora page here.

The citations I gave had been selected by lexicographers. I generally place more trust in them that in the opinions of people who contribute to internet forums. That is why I always cite grammar books and/or dictionaries if my forum opinion is challenged.

What kind of evidence do you feel you need? Ngram data?

We see from that that 'buys tickets' is six times more common that 'reserve tickets', not that 'reserve tickets' is incorrect.