AMERICAN ENGLISH THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN
AMERICAN ENGLISH
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH ARE MAINLY MATTERS OF PRONUNCIATION AND VOCABULARY. ALTHOUGH THE GRAMMATICAL DIFFERENCES ARE NOT ONLY VERY GREAT, THOSE POINTS THAT ARE MOST RELEVANT TO LEARNERS OF ENGLISH ARE EXPLAINED HERE.
PRESENT PERFECT AND SIMPLE PAST v THE BRITISH USE THE v THE AMERICANS CAN PRESENT PERFECT FOR USE EITHER PRESENT ACTIONS IN A PERIOD UP TO THE PRESENT , PERFECT OR THE SIMPLE AND ESPECIALLY WITH PAST IN THESE JUST, ALREADY AND YET: CONTEXTS:
BRITISH v BOB HAS WASHED THE DISHES. THEY’RE CLEAN AMERICAN v BOB HAS WASHED THE DISHES. THEY’RE CLEAN OR v BOB WASHED THE DISHES. THEY’RE CLEAN
BRITISH v WE’VE ALREADY EATEN OUR LUNCH AMERICAN v WE’VE ALREADY EATEN OUR LUNCH. OR v WE ALREADY ATE OUR LUNCH.
BRITISH v I’VE JUST SEEN ELAINE AMERICAN v I’VE JUST SEEN ELAINE. OR v I JUST SAW ELAINE.
BRITISH HAVE YOU CORRECTED YOUR WORK YET? AMERICAN v. HAVE YOU CORRECTED YOUR WORK YET? OR v. DID YOU CORRECT YOUR WORK YET?
v. THE BRITISH USE THE v. AMERICANS NORMALY PRESENT PERFECT WITH EVER AND NEVER NOT THE SIMPLE PAST USE THE SIMLE PAST WITH EVER AND NEVER, BUT PRESENT PERFECT IS POSSIBLE
BRITISH v. HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED CRICKET? AMERICAN DID YOU EVER PLAYED CRICKET? OR HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED CRICKET?
BRITISH v THE CHILD HAS NEVER SEEN SNOW BEFORE AMERICAN v THE CHILD NEVER SAW SNOW BEFORE OR v OR THE CHILD HAS NEVER SEEN SNOW BEFORE
v. THE BRITISH USE WILL FOR THE FUTURE. BUT THEY CAN ALSO USE SHALL IN THE FIRST v. THE AMERICANS DO NOT NORMALLY USE SHALL FOR THE FUTURE
BRITISH: v I WILL (OR I SHALL) BE HERE TOMORROW. v WE WILL (OR WE SHALL) CONTACT YOU AMERICAN: v I WILL BE HERE TOMORROW v WE WILL CONTACT YOU
v. THE BRITISH USE SHALL IN OFFERS AND SUGGESTIONS. v. THE AMERICANS NORMALLY USE SHOULD IN OFFERS AND SUGGESTIONS.
BRITISH: v. SHALL I MAKE A COFFEE? AMERICAN v. SHOULD I MAKE A COFFEE?
IN BRITIAN THERE ARE TWO PATTERNS. THE AMERICAN NORMALLY USE THE AUXILIARY DO: BRITISH v AMERICAN v I HAVEN’T (GOT) v I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME OR v I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME. v DOES CAROL v HAS CAROL GOT A HAVE A TENNIS RACKET? OR v DOES CAROL HAVE A
AMERICANS USE THE QUESTION TAGS MUCH LESS OFTEN THAN THE BRITISH. A QUESTION TAG (E. G. WE’LL HAVE TO HURRY, WON’T WE? ) CAN SOUND STRANGE TO AN AMERICAN. BUT AMERICAN USE THE TAGS RIGHT? AND OK? E. G. WE’LL HAVE TO HURRY, RIGHT? LET’S GO ON TUESDAY, OK?
v THE BRITISH CAN USE EITHER OF THESE FORM v THE AMERICANS DO NOT NORMALLY USE NEEDN’T BRITISH : v YOU NEEDN’T SEE THE INSPECTOR v YOU DON’T NEED TO SEE THE INSPECTOR. AMERICAN:
IN BRITISH THERE CAN BE A NOUN PHRASE (E. G. A GOOD PILOT) DIRECTLY AFTER SEEM, APPEAR, LOOK, SOUND AND FEEL AMERICAN DON’T USE THE PATTRENN SEEM+ NOUN PHRASE
BRITISH: v. SHE SEEMED (TO BE) A GOOD PILOT v. IT LOOKS A LOVELY EVENNING v. I FELT A FOOL AMERICAN: v. SHE SEEMED TO BE A GOOD PILOT v. IT LOOKS LIKE A LOVELY EVENNING v. OR IT LOOKS TO BE A LOVELY EVENNING v. I FELT LIKE A FOOL v. OR I FELT A FOOL
IN BRITAIN A GROUP NOUN CAN OFTEN TAKE EITHER A SINGULAR OR PLURAL VERB v IN AMERICAN A GROUP NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR VERB v BRITISH: THE CROWD WAS/ WERE GETTING RESTLESS SWEDEN PLAYS/ PLAY GERMANY TOMORROW AMERICAN: THE CROWD WAS GETTING RESTLESS SWEDEN PLAYS GERMANY TOMORROW
BRITISH SAY THAT A SICK PERSON IS IN HOSPITAL v. MY SISTER IS STILL IN HOSPITAL THE AMERICAN DON’T LEAVE OUT THE BEFORE HOSPITAL v. MY SISTER IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL
v. THERE IS A DIFFRENCE IN USAGE WHEN YOU’RE FINDING OUT WHO ARE SPEAKING TO ON THE TELEPHONE BRITISH v. IS THAT MARIA? AMERICAN v. IS THIS MARIA?
THE BRITISH USE BOTH YOU AND ONE FOR PEOPLE IN GENERAL, INCLUDING THE SPEAKER: *YOU/ ONE CAN’T BE TOO CAREFUL THE AMERICANS USE YOU FOR PEOPLE IN GENERAL ONE IS UNUSUAL *YOU CAN’T BE CAREFUL
THERE ARE SOME DIFFENCES IN PREPOSITIONS. COMPARE BRITISH: ROUND/ AROUND THE VILLAGE TOWARDS/ TOWARD THE WEST LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW AMERICAN: AROUND THE VILLAGE TOWARD THE WEST LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW OR LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW
THERE IS A SPECIAL USE OF THROUGH IN AMERICAN ENGLISH HE’LL BE ON THE ROAD FROM TUESDAY TO / TILL FRIDAY (INCLUSIVE) HE’LL BE ON THE ROAD FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THEY WILL STAY IN MIAMI THROUGH APRIL. (UNTIL THE END OF APRIL)
THE BRITISH NORMALLY USE DIFFERENT FORM OR DIFFERENT TO *THIS CUP IS DIFFERENT FORM / TO THE OTHERS AMERICANS USE DIFFERENT FROM OR DIFFERENT THAN *THIS CUP IS DIFFERENT FORM / THAN THE OTHERS
THERE ARE SOME DIFFRENCES IN IDIOMS WITH THE PREPOSITIONS BRITISH: IN PICCADILLY AT THE WEEKEND, AT WEEKEND A PLAYER IN A TEAM TEN MINUTES PAST FOUR TWENTY TO SEVEN WRITE TO ME MEET SOMEONE AMERICAN: ON BROADWAY ON THE WEEKEND, ON WEEKEND A PLAYER ON A TEAM TEN MINUTES PAST/ AFTER FOUR TWENTY TO/ OF SEVEN WRITE ME MEET WITH SOMEONE
v SOME VERBS CAN HAVE EITHER AN IRREGULAR -T ENDING OR THE REGULAR ED ENDING IN THE PAST TENSE AND THE PAST PASSIVE PARTICIPLE. THE VERBS ARE BURN, LAERN, SMELL, SPILL AND SPOIL THE BRITISH PREFER THE T ENDING v THEY BURNT THE OLD SOFA v YOU’VE SPELT THIS WRONG THE AMERICANS PREFER THE ED ENDING v THEY BURNED THE OLD SOFA
BUT THE PARTICIPLE USED AS AN ADJECTIVE HAS THE T ENDING IN AMERICAN ENGLISH, E. G. A SLICE OF BURNT TOAST
IN BRITAIN THE VERB DREAM, LEAN AND LEAP HAVE AN IRREGULAR VOWEL SOUND A T ENDING: BRITISH v. I DREAMT ABAUT YOU. [DREMT] AMERICAN v. I DREAMED ABAUT YOU. [DRI: MD]
THE VERB DIVE IS REGULAR IN BRITAIN BUT IRREGULAR IN AMERICA: BRITISH v. CRAIG DIVED IN TO THE WATER AMERICAN v. CRAIG DOVE IN TO THE
THE BRITISH DON’T USE GOTTEN. THE PAST PARTICIPLE OF GET IS GOT THE AMERICANS USE HAVE (GOT) FOR A STATE AND HAVE GOTTEN FOR AN ACTION
BRITISH HE’S GOT LOT OF MONEY. (= HE IS RICH). HE’S MADE A LOT OF MONEY FROM HIS BUSINESS ACTIVITIES. AMERICAN HE HAS A LOT IF MONEY. (=HE IS RICH) HE’S GOTTEN / MADE A LOT OF MONEY FROM HIS BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
AMERICANS ALSO USE GOTTEN MEANING “BECOME” BRITISH YOUR DRIVING HAS GOT BETTER. AMERICAN YOUR DRIVING HAS GOTTEN BETTER
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