Tài liệu Oxfore guide to english grammar part 57 docx

39 IRREGULAR VERB FORMS
PAGE 386
Base form Past tense Past/passive participle
300 List of irregular verbs
NOTE
a For verbs which have forms both in ed and t, e.g. burned / burnt, dream / dreamt, • 303(11).
b Cost as a transitive verb is regular.
They've costed the project. (= estimated the cost)
Base form Past tense Past/passive participle
PAGE 387
c The third person singular of do is does
d Fit is usually regular in Britain but irregular in the US.
e In GB the past tense of forbid is forbad or forbade, pronounced
. In the US it is
forbade, pronounced
f For the past participle gotten (US), • 303(5d).
g The third person singular of go is goes
For gone and been, • 84(6).
h We use hanged only to talk about hanging a person.
i The third person singular of have is has
j For the difference between lay and lie, • 11 (2) Note b. Lie (= tell an untruth) is regular.
k The third person singular of say is says
1 Shined means 'polished': I've shined my shoes. Compare The sun shone.
m We use sped for movement.
They sped down the hill.
But we say speeded up (= went faster),
n Weave is regular when it expresses movement.
We weaved our way through the traffic.
39 IRREGULAR VERB FORMS . PAGE 388
301 Special participle forms
There are some special past/passive participle forms that we use mainly before a

noun. Compare these sentences.
have + participle: The ship has sunk. The metal has melted.
Participle + noun: a sunken ship molten metal
We can also form special participles from drink, shrink, prove, learn and bless.
a drunken spectator a shrunken old man a proven fact
NOTE
These participles can have special meanings and are used only in limited contexts.
For example, we talk about molten metal but NOT molten ice.
a learned professor
a blessed relief
40
American English
302 Summary
The grammar of British English and American English is very similar. There are a
few differences but not very many, and most of them are minor points.
Differences with verbs • 303
Differences with noun phrases • 304
Differences with adjectives and adverbs • 305
Differences with prepositions • 306
Differences with conjunctions • 307
American spelling • 308
There are also some spelling differences, such as GB colour, US color.
The main differences between British and American English are in pronunciation
and in some items of vocabulary. A good dictionary such as the Oxford Wordpower
Dictionary or the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary will give American variants
in spelling, pronunciation and usage. The Hutchinson British-American Dictionary
by Norman Moss explains the meanings of words which are familiar in one
country but not in the other.
303 Differences with verbs
1 Linking verb + noun phrase

The British can use a noun phrase after a linking verb such as be, seem, look, feel.
• 9(1)
Mainly GB: It looks a lovely evening.
She seemed (to be) a competent pilot.
The Americans do not use this pattern except with be and become.
US: It looks like/It looks to be a lovely evening.
She seemed to be a competent pilot.
PAGE 389
40 AMERICAN ENGLISH PAGE 390
2 Do for an action
The British sometimes use do to refer to an action. • 38 (2c)
GB: He practises the piano, but not as often as he might (do).
You should reply if you haven't (done) already.
This usage is not found in American English.
US: He practices the piano, but not as often as he might.
You should reply if you haven't already.
But Americans use do so.
GB/US: You should reply if you haven't done so already.
3 Do for emphasis
The British can use do to emphasize an offer or invitation in the imperative form.
GB: (Do) have a glass of wine.
This usage is less common in American English.
US: Have a glass of wine.
Americans also avoid the emphatic Do let's... and the negative Don't let's...
• 19 (6a)
GB/US: Let's not invite them.
GB only: Don't let's invite them.
NOTE Let's don't invite them is possible in informal American English but not in Britain.
4 Question tags
Americans use tags much less often than the British. The British may use them

several times in a conversation, but this would sound strange to an American.
Americans use tags when they expect agreement. They do not often use them to
persuade or argue.
GB/US: Mary likes ice-cream, doesn't she?
GB only: You'll just have to try harder, won't you?
Americans often use the tags right? and OK?
Mainly US: You're going to meet me, right?
We'll take the car, OK?
5 Have, have got and have gotten
a Have and have got
GB: I've got/I have some money.
US (spoken): I've got some money.
US (written: I have some money.