Unit I. Introduction to the uk question time

'When people say England, they sometimes mean Great Britain, sometimes the United Kingdom, sometimes the British Isles - but never England.' (‘How to be an Alien' by George Mikes)

This quotation from George Mikes’ book means that many foreigners say 'England' and 'English' when they mean 'Britain', or the 'UK', and 'British'. So what is the difference between the names 'Great Britain' and 'the United Kingdom' - and what about 'the British Isles'? You will be ready to answer this question after studying Part I.