Appendix 5: American English

The differences between British and American English are mainly matters of pronunciation and vocabulary. There are also a few spelling differences such as British centre and colour and American center and color. There are some grammatical differences. Although they are not very great, those points that are most relevant to learners of English are explained here.

A Seem, look, etc

Compare these examples.

BRITISH AMERICAN

In British English there can be a noun (e.g. Americans do not say She seemed a good pilot.

pilot) after appear, feel, look, seem and sound. They use to be or like after these verbs.

She seemed (to be) a good pilot. She seemed to be a good pilot.

or She seemed like a good pilot.
It looks (to be) a lovely evening. It looks to be a lovely evening.

OR It looks like a lovely evening.
I felt a fool. I felt like a fool.

B Present perfect and past simple (Units 11-15)

The British use the present perfect for recent Americans can use either the present perfect or

actions, and especially with just, already and yet. the past simple in these sentences.

Bob has washed the dishes, look. Bob has washed the dishes, look.

or Bob washed the dishes, look.
We've already eaten our lunch. We've already eaten our lunch.

or We already ate our lunch.

I've just seen Elaine. I've just seen Elaine.

or I just saw Elaine.

Have you corrected your work yet? Have you corrected your work yet?

or Did you correct your work yet?

The British normally use the present perfect Americans normally use the past simple with

with ever and never, not the past simple. ever and never, but the present perfect is

possible.
Have you ever played cricket? Did you ever play baseball?

or Have you ever played baseball?
The child has never seen snow before. The child never saw snow before.

or The child has never seen snow before.

C Shall (Unit 23D)

The British use will for the future, but they can Americans do not normally use shall for the

also use shall in the first person. future.

I will/I shall be here tomorrow. I will be here tomorrow.

We will/We shall contact you. We will contact you.

The British use shall to make an offer. Americans normally use should.

Shall I make the coffee? Should I make the coffee?

The British can use Shall we ...? for a Americans do not normally use shall in

suggestion. suggestions.

Shall we go for a walk? How about a walk?

Would you like to take a walk?

D Got and gotten

Both have and have got are used in Britain and in the US.

He has a lot of money./He's got a lot of money. (= He is rich.)

The British do not use gotten. In the US, have gotten expresses an action.

He's made a lot of money from his business He's gotten/made a lot of money from his

activities. business activities.

Americans also use gotten meaning 'become'.
Your driving has got better. Your driving has gotten better.

E Negatives and questions with have (Unit 31)

In Britain there are two different structures. Americans normally use the auxiliary do.

I haven't (got) enough time. I don't have enough time.

or I don't have enough time.

Has Carol got a computer? Does Carol have a computer?

or Does Carol have a computer?

In the past tense, did is usual in both countries. We didn't have tickets.

F Emphatic do (Unit 33C)

The British can use do with an imperative for Do with an imperative is less common in the

emphasis. US.

Have a piece of cake. Have a piece of cake.

or Do have a piece of cake.

G Do for an action

The British can use do to refer to an action Americans do not use do in this way.

already mentioned.

I don't practise as often as I should (do). I don't practice as often as I should.

You'd better take your pill. ~ I already have You'd better take your pill. ~ I already have.

(done).

H Question tags (Unit 42)

Both the British and the Americans can use question tags when talking about facts.

Blackpool is in Lancashire, isn't it? Las Vegas is in Nevada, isn't it?

But in general Americans use tags much less often than the British. They do not use tags to persuade or to argue. A sentence like You aren't listening to me, are you? is British but not American. But Americans often use right? and OK? as tags.

I'll bring the luggage in, shall I? I'll bring the baggage in, OK?

I Can't and mustn't (Unit 46C)

The British use can't to say that something is Americans can also use mustn't to say that

impossible. something is impossible.

I rang, but there's no reply. They can't be at I called, but there's no reply. They can't be

home. home./They mustn't be home.

J Needn't and don't need to (Unit 48)

The British can use either form. Americans do not normally use needn't.

You needn't see the inspector. You don't need to see the inspector.
OR You don't need to see the inspector.

K Group nouns (Unit 81B)

In Britain a group noun can usually take either a In the US a group noun takes a singular verb,

singular or a plural verb. The crowd was getting restless.

The crowd was/were getting restless. Sweden plays Germany tomorrow.

Sweden plays/play Germany tomorrow.

L The (Unit 86C and 87A)

The British use the with a musical instrument. Americans can leave out the.

/ can play the piano. I can play piano/play the piano.

The British say in hospital. Americans say in the hospital.

My sister is still in hospital. My sister is still in the hospital.

M Numbers

The British use and between hundred and the Americans can leave out and.

rest of the number. six hundred twenty

six hundred and twenty or six hundred and twenty

N Dates

There are a number of different ways of writing and saying dates, but these are the most common.

BRITISH AMERICAN

23 June June 23

'the twenty-third of June' 'June twenty-third'

'June the twenty-third'

The British write 23.6.98, and Americans write 6.23.98.

0 You and one (Unit 98C)

The British use you for people in general, Americans use you for people in general. One is

including the speaker. In more formal English unusual,
they can use one.

You/One can't be too careful You can't be too careful.

P Somewhere and someplace (Unit 103)

In informal American English, everyplace, someplace, anyplace and no place can be used as well as everywhere, somewhere, etc.

Let's find somewhere to eat. Let's find somewhere/someplace to eat.

Q Adjectives and adverbs (Unit 108)

In informal speech we can sometimes use an adjective form instead of an adverb. Americans do this more than the British.

We had some really nice weather. We had some really nice/some real nice

weather.
It certainly doesn't make things any easier. It certainly/sure doesn't make things any easier.

R Prepositions (Units 118-126)

There are some differences in prepositions.

BRITISH AMERICAN

round/around the village around the village

towards/toward the west toward the west

looking out of the window looking out the window/out of the window

outside the town outside the town/outside of the town

In American English there is a special use of through as a preposition of time.

He'll be on the road from Tuesday to/till He'll be on the road (from) Tuesday through

Friday. Friday.

They will stay in Brighton until the end of They will stay in Miami through April.

April.

Note the prepositions after different.

BRITISH AMERICAN

This cup is differentfrom/to the others. This cup is different from/than the others.
Compare these expressions.

BRITISH AMERICAN

in Bond Street on Fifth Avenue

at the weekend, at weekends on the weekend, on weekends

stay at home stay home

a player in the team a player on the team

ten minutes past four ten minutes past/after four

twenty to seven twenty to/of seven

write to me write me/write to me

talk to someone talk to/with someone

meet someone meet with someone

S In case (Unit 148D)

In case can have different meanings.

BRITISH AMERICAN

Take an umbrella in case it rains. In case you're sick, you should call the office.

(= because it may rain) (= if you're sick)

T Go and...

Americans can leave out and from this structure.

I'll go and buy the tickets. I'll go buy/I'll go and buy the tickets.

U The subjunctive

We can use expressions like I suggest that ... and It's important that ... to talk about what we want to happen. Look at these examples.

BRITISH AMERICAN

Tim's parents have suggested that he gets a Tim's parents have suggested that he get a job.

job/that he should get a job. It's important that everything go according to

It's important that everything goes/everything plan.

should go according to plan.

The British normally use the present simple or Americans normally use a form called the

should. (They use the subjunctive only in formal 'subjunctive', e.g. get, go.
English.)

V Irregular verbs

In the past tense some verbs can have either an irregular t ending or the regular ed ending. These verbs are burn, learn, smell, spell, spill and spoil.

The British prefer the t ending, although ed is Americans normally use the ed ending,
also possible.

They burnt/burned the old sofa. They burned the old sofa.

You've spelt/spelled this word wrong. You've spelled this word wrong.

But we say e.g. a slice of burnt toast in both British and American English.
In Britain the verbs dream, lean and leap can be regular, or they can have a t ending.
I dreamt/dreamed about you. I dreamed about you.

These three forms ending in t have the vowel sound /e/. For example, dreamt is pronounced /dremt/, and dreamed is pronounced /dri:md/.

The verb dive is regular in Britain but can be irregular in the US.

Craig dived into the water. Craig dived/dove into the water.

Date: 2014-12-22; view: 914