Tuesday, August 13, 2013

British Vs American English


Speakers of American English generally use the present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) far less than speakers of British English. In spoken American English it is very common to use the simple past tense as an alternative in situations where the present perfect would usually have been used in British English. The two situations where this is especially likely are:
(i) In sentences which talk about an action in the past that has an effect in the present:
American English / British English
·        Jenny feels ill. She ate too much.
·        Jenny feels ill. She's eaten too much.
·        I can't find my keys. Did you see them anywhere?
·        I can't find my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?
(ii) In sentences which contain the words already, just or yet:
American English / British English
·        A: Are they going to the show tonight?
·        B: No. They already saw it.
·        A: Are they going to the show tonight?
·        B: No. They've already seen it.
·        A: Is Samantha here?
·        B: No, she just left.
·        A: Is Samantha here?
·        B: No, she's just left.
·        A: Can I borrow your book?
·        B: No, I didn't read it yet.
·        A: Can I borrow your book?
·        B: No, I haven't read it yet.

1. Verb agreement with collective nouns
In British English collective nouns, (i.e. nouns referring to particular groups of people or things), (e.g. staff , government, class, team) can be followed by a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is thought of as one idea, or as many individuals, e.g.:
My team is winning.
The other team are all sitting down.
In American English collective nouns are always followed by a singular verb, so an American would usually say:
Which team is losing?
whereas in British English both plural and singular forms of the verb are possible, as in:
Which team is/are losing?

2. Use of delexical verbs have and take
In British English, the verb have frequently functions as what is technically referred to as a delexical verb, i.e. it is used in contexts where it has very little meaning in itself but occurs with an object noun which describes an action, e.g.:
I'd like to have a bath.
Have is frequently used in this way with nouns referring to common activities such as washing or resting, e.g.:
She's having a little nap.
I'll just have a quick shower before we go out.
In American English, the verb take, rather than have, is used in these contexts, e.g.:
Joe's taking a shower.
I'd like to take a bath.
Let's take a short vacation.
Why don't you take a rest now?

3. Use of auxiliaries and modals
In British English, the auxiliary do is often used as a substitute for a verb when replying to a question, e.g.:
·        A: Are you coming with us?
·        B: I might do.
In American English, do is not used in this way, e.g.:
·        A: Are you coming with us?
·        B: I might.
In British English needn't is often used instead of don't need to, e.g.:
They needn't come to school today.
They don't need to come to school today.
In American English needn't is very unusual and the usual form is don't need to, i.e.:
They don't need to come to school today.
In British English, shall is sometimes used as an alternative to will to talk about the future, e.g.:
I shall/will be there later.
In American English, shall is unusual and will is normally used.
In British English shall I / we is often used to ask for advice or an opinion, e.g.:
Shall we ask him to come with us?
In American English should is often used instead of shall, i.e.:
Should we ask him to come with us?

4. Use of prepositions
In British English, at is used with many time expressions, e.g.:
at Christmas/five 'o' clock
at the weekend
In American English, on is always used when talking about the weekend, not at, e.g.:
Will they still be there on the weekend?
She'll be coming home on weekends.
In British English, at is often used when talking about universities or other institutions, e.g.:
She studied chemistry at university.
In American English, in is often used, e.g.:
She studied French in high school.
In British English, to and from are used with the adjective different, e.g.:
This place is different from/to anything I've seen before.
In American English from and than are used with different, e.g.:
This place is different from/than anything I've seen before.
In British English to is always used after the verb write, e.g.:
I promised to write to her every day.
In American English, to can be omitted after write, i.e.:
I promised to write her every day.

5. Past tense forms
Below is a table showing verbs which have different simple past and past participle forms in American and British English. Note that the irregular past forms burnt, dreamt and spoilt are possible in American English, but less common than the forms ending in -ed.
Infinitive
Simple past
(Br)
Simple past
(Am)
Past participle
(Br)
Past participle
(Am)
burn
burned/
burnt
burned/
burnt
burned/
burnt
burned/
burnt
bust
bust
busted
bust
busted
dive
dived
dove/
dived
dived
dived
dream
dreamed/
dreamt
dreamed/
dreamt
dreamed/
dreamt
dreamed/
dreamt
get
got
got
got
gotten
lean
leaned/
leant
leaned
leaned/
leant
leaned
learn
learned/
learnt
learned
learned/
learnt
learned
plead
pleaded
pleaded/
pled
pleaded
pleaded/
pled
prove
proved
proved
proved
proved/
proven
saw
sawed
sawed
sawn
sawn/
sawed
smell
smelled/
smelt
smelled
smelled/
smelt
smelled
spill
spilled/
spilt
spilled
spilled/
spilt
spilled
spoil
spoiled/
spoilt
spoiled/
spoilt
spoiled/
spoilt
spoiled/
spoilt
stink
stank
stank/
stunk
stunk
stunk
wake
woke
woke/
waked
woken
woken

Note that have got is possible in American English, but is used with the meaning 'have', gotten is the usual past participle of get, e.g.
American English
British English
You've got two brothers
(= you have two brothers)
You've got two brothers
You've gotten taller this year
You've got taller this year


Here you will find words which have different meanings or are spelled differently in British and American English.

British English
American English
A
accelerator
gas pedal, accelerator
aerial (TV, radio)
antenna, aerial
Alsatian
German shepherd
American Indian
Native American
anorak
jacket, parka
at the weekend
on the weekend
aubergine
eggplant
B
bank holiday
national holiday,
federal holiday
barrister, solicitor
lawyer, attorney
base rate
prime rate
to bath
to bathe
beetroot
beet
bill (in restaurants)
check (in restaurants)
bin, dustbin
garbage can/trash can
biro
ball-point pen
biscuit
cookie
bonnet
hood
boot
trunk
braces
suspenders
(round) brackets
parentheses
C
candy floss
cotton candy
car park
parking lot
caravan
trailer
caretaker
janitor
catalogue
catalog
centre
center
chemist's shop
drugstore, pharmacy
chips
French fries
city centre
downtown, city center
cloakroom
checkroom, coatroom
clothes peg
clothespin
colour
color
cooker
stove
(bathing) costume
swimsuit
cosy
cozy
cot (baby)
crib
cotton wool
cotton ball
courgette
zucchini
crisps
potato chips
crossroads
crossroad (in the country)
intersection (town and country)
curriculum vitae (CV)
résumé
curriculum vitae
(depending on the professional field)
D
dinner jacket
tux, tuxedo
directory enquiries
directory assistance
diversion
detour
double cream
heavy cream
draught
draft
draughts
checkers
drawing pin
thumb tack
dressing gown
(bath) robe
drink driving
drunk driving
driving licence
driver's license
dummy
pacifier
duvet
comforter
E
earth wire
ground wire
engaged
busy
enquiry
inquiry
everywhere
everyplace, everywhere
expiry date
expiration date
F
fancy dress
costumes
Father Christmas
Santa Claus
favourite
favorite
to fill in
to fill out
film
film, movie
fire brigade
fire department
first floor
second floor
fish-fingers
fish-sticks
flannel
face cloth, wash cloth
flat
apartment
(flat: used for apartment on one floor)
flavour
flavor
football
soccer
fortnight
two weeks
fringe
bangs
from Monday to Friday
from Monday to Friday
from Monday through Friday (Friday included)
full stop
period
G
garden
yard
gear lever
gear shift
Gents
Men's Room
goods train
freight train
ground floor
first floor
ground floor, first floor
second floor
H
harbour
harbor
headmaster, headteacher
principal
to hire
to rent
hire purchase
installment plan
hockey
field hockey
holiday
vacation
hoover
vacuum cleaner
humour
humor
I
icing sugar
powdered sugar
indicator
turn signal
inverted commas, quotation marks
quotation marks
J
jacket potato
baked potato
jewellery
jewelery
Joe Bloggs
John Doe
jumble sale
yard sale
jumper
sweater
K
kilometre
kilometer
L
ladybird
ladybug
to lay the table
to set the table
letter box
mail box
lift
elevator
litre
liter
lorry
truck
lost property
lost and found
M
mackintosh
raincoat
managing director
CEO (chief executive officer)
mashed potato
mashed potatoes
match
game
maths
math
mobile (phone)
cellphone
motorbike
motorcycle
motorway
freeway, highway, expressway, interstate
mum
mom








N
nappy
diaper
national insurance number
social security number
neighbour
neighbor
note
bill
notice board
bulletin board
number plate
license plate
P
a pack of cards
a deck of cards
a packet of cigarettes
a package of cigarettes
pants
underpants
paraffin
kerosene/kerosine
pavement
sidewalk
pedestrian crossing
crosswalk
pepper
bell pepper
petrol
gas
phone box
phone booth
plane
airplane
polo neck
turtle neck
post
mail
post code
zip code
postman
mailman
pram, pushchair
baby carriage, baby buggy, stoller
prawn
shrimp
primary school
elementary school
grade school
programme
program
Q
to queue
to line up
quid
buck
R
railway
railroad
reception
front desk
to ring
to call
road way
pavement
roundabout
traffic circle, rotary
rucksack
backpack
rubber
eraser
rubbish
garbage
S
share
stock
shop
store
shop assistant
sales clerk
sick
nauseated
single ticket
one-way ticket
Sorry.
Excuse me.
spanner
wrench
sports day
fields day
public school
private school
stock
inventory
subway
underpass
sultana
raisin
sweet shop
candy store
T
tap
faucet
taxi
cab
term
semester
theatre
theater
timetable
schedule
tin
can
toilet, loo
bathroom, rest room
town centre
downtown, city center
torch
flashlight
trainers
sneakers
tram
streetcar
travelled
traveled
trolley
cart
trousers
pants
tyre
tire
U
underground, tube
subway
underlay
carpet pad
undertaker
mortician
V
vest
undershirt
W
waistcoat
vest
wallet
billfold
wardrobe
closet
to wash
wash up
wing
fender
Y
year
grade
Z
zebra crossing
crosswalk
zip
zipper

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