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Difference Between British and American English


DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH


Note : BE = British English; AE = American English

Grammar

The British use the present perfect when the result of a past action is connected to the present. Americans use the simple past or present perfect in such situations.

BE : Rekha isn't at home. She has gone shopping,
AE : Rekha isn't at home,
She went shopping.
I She has gone shopping

The British use the present perfect with just for the immediate past. Americans use the simple past or present perfect.

BE: 1 have just finished the work.

AE : I just finished the work.

Or : I have just finished the work.

The British use the present perfect with already, yet, never, ever, etc. for an action in a period of time up to the present. Americans use the simple past or present perfect in such cases.

BE : I have posted the letters already.
She hasn't come yet.
Have you ever seen the Taj Mahal?
I have never travelled by plane.

AE : T posted the letters already.

Or : I have posted the letters already.
She didn't come yet.

Or : She hasn't come yet.
Did you ever see the Taj Mahal?

Or : Have you ever seen the Taj Mahal?
I never travelled by plane.

Or : I have never travelled by plane.

In British English the past participle of get is got. In American English the past participle is gotten, except in the structure have got (= have).

BE : He has got a prize in the raffle.

AE : He has gotten a prize in the raffle.

BE, AE : I have got two sisters. (= I have two sisters.)

The British use will or shall in the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall.

BE : I will/shall never forget you.

AE : I will never forget you.

The British use shall in offers. Americans use should.

BE : Shall I give you a lift?

AE : Should I give you a lift?

The British use needn 't or don't need to. The usual form in American English is don't need to.

BE : You needn't come again.

Or : You don't need to come again.

AE : You don't need to come again.

The British often use should after demand, insist, recommend, etc. The use of the subjunctive is rather formal in Britain. Americans normally use the subjunctive. They rarely use should.

BE : The policeman demanded that they should show their identity cards, (or: .... that
they show their identity cards.)
She insisted that she should see her lawyer.

(Or :      that she see her lawyer.)

AE : The policeman demanded that they show their identity cards. She insisted that shesee her lawyer.

The British talk about a patient in hospital. Americans use the before hospital. Collective nouns (like government, committee, teamjamily, etc.) take a singular or plural verb in British English. They normally have a singular verb in American English.

BE : The committee meets/meet tomorrow.
The team is/are going to lose.

AE : The committee meets tomorrow.
The team is going to lose.
On the telephone both the British and Americans say "This is ...." to say who they are, but
usage is different when they ask who the other person is.

BE : Hello, is that David? Who is that?

AE : Hello, is this David? Who is this?

There are differences in the use of some prepositions.

British English

at the weekend
live in X street
a player in the team
Monday to Thursday

write to someone
different from/to
ten minutes past six
five (minuts) to ten

American English

on the weekend
live on X street
a player on the team
Monday through Thursday
write someone/write to someone
different from/than,
ten minutes past/after six
five minuts to/of ten


The verbs burn, dream, lean, learn, smell, spell, spill and spoil have both regular (-ed) and irregular forms. The British prefer the irregular forms. Americans normally use the regular forms. For example, the form dreamt is more common than dreamed in British English; in American English dreamed is the usual form.

The verb dive is regular in British English but it is often irregular in American English.
BE/AE : dive - dived - dived
AE only : dive - dove - dived

BE : He dived into the water.
AE : He dove (or dived) into the water.

Spelling

In British English - l is doubled in an unstressed syllable before a suffix beginning with a vowel, while in American English it is not doubled (e.g. quarrelled/quarreled).

Some words end in -our in British English and -or in American English (e.g.
colour/color)

Some words end in tre in British English and ter in American English (e.g. centre/center).

Some verbs can end with ize or ise in British English, but they end with ize in American English (e.g. realize/realise).

Here are some of the commonest words with different spellings:

British English

Analyse
apologise/apologize
catalogue
centre
cheque (money)
colour
defence
dialogue
honour
jeweller
programme
metre (= 100 cm)
realise/realize
skilful 1
theatre
traveller

American English

analyze
apologize
catalog/catalogue
center
check
color
defense
dialog/dialogue
honor

jeweler
program
meter
realize
skillful
theater
traveler

Vocabulary

Here are a few examples of differences in vocabulary.

British English

aeroplane
angry
anywhere

American English

airplane
mad
anyplace/anywhere

British English

autumn
biscuit
bill (in a restaurant)
boot (of a car)
bonnet (on a car)
chips
cot
crisps

crossroads
dustbin
engaged(phone)
film
flat/apartment
fortnight/two weeks
gear lever (on a car)
ground floor, first floor, etc.
handbag
holiday/holidays
jug
lift
main road/motorway
maize/sweet com
nappy
pavement
petrol
post
practice (noun) \practise (verb) J
public toilet
purse
queue
railway
return/return journey
rise (in salary)
road surface
rubber/eraser
rubbish
single/single ticket
sweets
tap (indoors)
tap (outdoors)
taxi
timetable
torch

trainers (= sports shoes)
trousers
underground
van/lorry
windscreen (on a car)
zip

American English

fall/autumn
cookie/cracker
check/bill

trunk
hood
french fries
crib
chips/potato chips
intersection
garbage can/trashcan
busy
movie/film
apartment
two weeks
gear shift
first floor, second floor, etc

pocket book/purse/handbag
vacation
pitcher
elevator
highway/freeway
corn
diaper
sidewalk
gas/gasoline
mail
practice (noun and verb)
rest room
coin-purse
line
railroad
round trip
raise
pavement
eraser
garbage/trash
one-way/one-way ticket
candy
faucet/tap
spigot/faucet
cab/taxi
schedule/timetable
flashlight
sneakers
pants/trousers
subway
truck
windshield
zipper

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