Differences Between American and British English ppt

Differences Between American and British English

( With more examples and execises with answers)

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and
British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL
programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however,
there are certainly preferences in use. The most important rule of thumb is to
try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use
American English spellings then be consistent in your spelling (i.e. The
color of the orange is also its flavour - color is American spelling and
flavour is British), this is of course not always easy - or possible. The
following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these
two varieties of English.

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has
occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For
example:
I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
In American English the following is also possible:
I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both
forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other
differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and
simple past in American English include already, just and yet.
British English:
I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film
Have you finished your homework yet?

American English:
I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework
yet?

Possession

There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got
Do you have a car?
Have you got a car?
He hasn't got any friends.
He doesn't have any friends.
She has a beautiful new home.
She's got a beautiful new home.
While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American
English), have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the
preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English
employ the have (do you have, he doesn't have etc.)

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English. Example
He's gotten much better at playing tennis. British English - He's got much
better at playing tennis.

Vocabulary

Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in
the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two

varieties for example:
Mean: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not
generous, tight fisted)
Rubber: (American English - condom, British English - tool used to erase
pencil markings)
There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a
difference in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its
definition of the term. Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and
not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for
automobiles.


American English - hood British English - bonnet
American English - trunk British English - boot
American English - truck British English - lorry

Once again, your dictionary should list whether the term is used in British
English or American English.
For a more complete list of the vocabulary differences between British and
American English use this

Prepositions

There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following:
American English - on the
weekend
British English - at the weekend
American English - on a team British English - in a team
American English - please write
me soon

British English - please write to me
soon

Past Simple/Past Participles

The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past
participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form
is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and
the regular form is more common to American English.

Burn Burnt OR burned
Dream

dreamt OR dreamed
Lean leant OR leaned
Learn learnt OR learned
Smell smelt OR smelled
Spell spelt OR spelled
Spill spilt OR spilled
Spoil spoilt OR spoiled
Spelling
Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:

Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour,
flavor, flavour etc.
Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise,
patronize, patronise etc.

The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to
use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of

course) and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see,
there are really very few differences between standard British English and
standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that
of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation. For further information
concerning these areas please refer to the following

more examples

1) English is my favourite subject at school. British English
2) Have you seen Dick's new truck? American English
3) The park is in the center of our town. American English
4) Mr Barnes, our caretaker, found my key. British English
5) I like French fries, they're very crispy. American English
6) Have you seen the latest movie? American English
7) I've passed this test. So I'll get my driving licence very soon. British
English
8) The accident happened because the blue car didn't stop at the traffic
lights. British English
9) Tom told me to get off the Underground at Tower Hill. British
English
10) They have moved into a semi-detached house. British English

more examples

American British
apartment flat
argument row
baby carriage pram
band-aid plaster
bathroom loo or WC

can tin
chopped beef mince
cookie biscuit
corn maize
diaper nappy
elevator lift
eraser rubber
flashlight torch
fries chips
gas petrol
guy bloke, chap
highway motorway
hood (car) bonnet
jello jelly
jelly jam
kerosene paraffin
lawyer solicitor
license plate number plate
line queue
mail post
motor home caravan
movie theater cinema
muffler silencer
napkin serviette
nothing nought
overpass flyover
pacifier dummy
pants trousers
parking lot car park
period full stop

pharmacist chemist
potato chips crisps
rent hire
sausage banger
sidewalk pavement
soccer football
sweater jumper
trash can bin
truck lorry
trunk (car) boot
vacation holiday
vest waistcoat
windshield (car) windscreen
zip code postal code

Exercises

Exercise 1

How many differences between British and American English can you find
from reading these two short texts?

Mark (Hampshire, England)
‘I’m going to rake up the leaves in the garden, then get a DVD for tonight
from the shop on the High Street, unless you’d rather go to the cinema.
There’s no point cleaning the house now because Simon’s got his mates
coming round to watch the football, and the last time they came they left
crisps all over the carpet!’

Mark (New Hampshire, United States)

‘My buddy Jim must be one of the most accident-prone people in the world.
Last year he went to hospital four times – first he broke his toe playing
soccer, then he tripped over and broke his wrist when he was walking out of
a store on Main Street, then he burnt himself at a barbecue here in our yard,
then he somehow got a potato chip stuck in his throat at the movie theatre!’

Answers :
garden/yard, shop/store, High Street/Main Street, cinema/movie theatre,
mate/buddy, football/soccer, (potato) crisp/chip






Exercise 2

Fill in the gaps to complete the table of British English words and their
American equivalents.

BRITISH AMERICAN

BRITISH AMERICAN
1. biscuit c _ _ kie 11. torch flashl _ _ _ _
2. l _ rry truck 12. p _ yrise raise
3. puncture f _ _ t 13. curtains dr _ pe _
4. rubbish bin t _ _ _ h can
14. note
(money)
_ ill

5. ground floor

f _ _ _ _
floor
15. bill (e.g. in
a restaurant)
ch _ _ k
6. c _ retaker janitor
16. boot (of a
car)
tr _ nk
7. t _ n can 17. cook _ _ stove
8. zip zipp _ _
18. return
(ticket)
r _ _ nd trip
9. windscr _ _
n
windshield
19. single
(ticket)
o _ e-w _ y
10.
underground
(train system)
subw _ _ 20. p _ _ tbox mailbox

Answers: 1. cookie 2. lorry 3. flat 4. trash can 5. first 6. caretaker 7.
tin
8. zipper 9. windscreen 10. subway 11. flashlight 12. payrise 13.

drapes
14. bill 15. check 16. trunk 17. cooker 18. round trip 19. one-way 20.
postbox
(Note that some American English words such as can and cookie are now
also commonly used in British English.)


Exercise 3

Look each of the sentences below and decide whether they are written in
British English (B), American English (A), or if they would be the same in
both types of English (AB).

Then change the British English sentences into American English, and the
American English sentences into British English.

1. Did you get a single or a return?
2. It’s a really busy, noisy road – there are trucks going past all the time.
3. She lives on the first floor, so you won’t have to go up any stairs.
4. Shall I just put this stuff in the trash can?
5. I got a puncture when I was cycling to work yesterday.
6. My dad works as a janitor at the local school.
7. I went to the shop to buy five tins of peaches and some biscuits.
8. It’s one of the biggest cities in Europe.
9. Excuse me, could we have the check please?
10. Yes, thank you, the meal was excellent.
11. It’s dark out there, so take a torch.
12. I’m going to have to clean this windshield – I can hardly see out of it. If
you could just bring me some water, I’ll use the cloth I’ve got in the trunk.
13. That bag looks far too heavy for you to carry.

14. I need to get this bag repaired because the zip’s broken.
15. It’s about twenty minutes on the subway.
16. I’d like a new cooker, but we can’t really afford it.
17. I hate my job – my boss is an idiot and I haven’t had a raise for four
years.
18. Their new carpet’s a weird colour and it doesn’t match the drapes at all.
19. I’m sure I had a twenty-dollar bill in this pocket, so where is it now?
20. Honey, can you go and put this in the mailbox for me?

Answers:

1. B: Did you get a single (one way) or a return (round trip)?
2. A: It’s a really busy, noisy road – there are trucks (lorries) going past all
the time.
3. A: She lives on the first (ground) floor, so you won’t have to go up any
stairs.
4. A: Shall I just put this stuff in the trash can (rubbish bin)?
5. B: I got a puncture (flat) when I was cycling to work yesterday.
6. A: My dad works as a janitor (caretaker) at the local school.
7. B: I went to the shop (store) to buy five tins (cans) of peaches and some
biscuits (cookies).
8. AB
9. A: Excuse me, could we have the check (bill) please?
10. AB
11. B: It’s dark out there, so take a torch (flashlight).
12. A: I’m going to have to clean this windshield (windscreen) – I can
hardly see out of it. If you could just bring me some water, I’ll use the cloth
I’ve got in the trunk (boot).
13. AB
14. B: I need to get this bag repaired because the zip’s (zipper’s) broken.

15. A: It’s about twenty minutes on the subway (underground / Tube).
16. B: I’d like a new cooker (stove), but we can’t really afford it.
17. A: I hate my job – my boss is an idiot and I haven’t had a raise (payrise)
for four years.
18. A: Their new carpet’s a weird colour and it doesn’t match the drapes
(curtains) at all.
19. A: I’m sure I had a twenty-dollar bill (note) in this pocket, so where is it
now?
20. A: Honey, can you go and put this in the mailbox (postbox) for me?