Hi! Alexander,   
      
   On 04 Feb 16 18:41, you wrote to All:   
      
    ak> In the English textbook (it was Hans Hoffman's English teaching course   
    ak> available in Russia) I saw this:   
      
    ak> I am Australian   
    ak> I am German   
      
    ak> Should it be "I am an Australian" or we can speak both variants?   
      
   You could get by with using either one, and most people wouldn't give it a   
   second thought.  English isn't as 'picky' as German, and I'll tell you why I   
   think that.   
      
   Your question reminded me of a speech given by J.F. Kennedy in 1963, in which   
   he used the words "Ich Bin ein Berliner".  I remembered there was some   
   consternation at the way he phrased the statement, and did some (actual)   
   research tonight to find out why.  Here's what I came up with:   
      
   http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/08/the-real-mea   
   ing-of-ich-bin -ein-berliner/309500/   
   (All on one line, BTW.)   
      
   I quote from it...   
   "Afterward it would be suggested that Kennedy had got the translation wrong   
   that by using the article ein before the word Berliner, he had mistakenly   
   called himself a jelly doughnut. In fact, Kennedy was correct. To state Ich   
   bin Berliner would have suggested being born in Berlin, whereas adding the   
   word ein implied being a Berliner in spirit. His audience understood that he   
   meant to show his solidarity."   
      
   What's not stated, and I'm guessing, is that there may have been a delicious   
   pastry called 'a Berliner'.  :)   
      
   Cheers,   
   Paul.   
      
   ... A confident manner is important; Computers can sense this.   
   --- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox   
    * Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)