Principle types of English Pronounciation American based pronounciation


Grammar differences between American and British English


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2.3 Grammar differences between American and British English
The next significant difference between British English and American English is grammar. First of all, this is the difference in the definition of plural and singular. The Americans believe that to designate a country (for example, France) it is required to use the singular, and the British argue that in this case it is necessary to use the plural. Accordingly, different pronouns and verb forms are used in relation to countries in British and American languages. The situation is the same when using words denoting a generalized concept - for example, "airlines" or "police". The Americans will use the singular here, and the British - the plural, because we are talking not about one person, but about their totality.
One of the main reasons why the British consider Americans careless in relation to the language is that Americans practically do not use Perfect in colloquial speech, but use Simple (Indefinite) instead:

British variant

American variant

Have you heard the news?

Did you hear the news?

I’ve got a pen

I’ve gotten a pen

I suggest he should see the doctor

I suggest (that) he sees a doctor

Instead of the auxiliary verb shall (shan?t), Americans use will (won?t). Now this is the general trend of the English language:



British variant

American English

I shall see a doctor tomorrow

I will see a doctor tomorrow

In the complex system of verb tenses, which gradually replaced the temporal system of the Old English language, which originally expressed the idea of time as contrasting the present of the future with the past, two important changes are seen. The first is the increasing use of extended forms. For example: "I am eating" - "I eat (at the moment)" due to simple forms, like "I eat" - "I eat (generally)". This change stems from the desire to give the action described by the verb more liveliness and realism - and in this it differs from other modern trends in the language, in general, striving for greater economy and brevity of linguistic expression.


Many British English irregular verbs became regular in the American version (for example, burn - burned, dream - dreamed, lean - leaned, learn - learned, smell - smelled, spell - spelled, spill - spilled, spoil - spoiled).
b) Article. There are also differences in the use of articles. Nouns that have an article in British English can be used without it in American English:
all the week (British English) - all week (American English)
I'll be here all the summer. (British English) - I'll be here all summer. (American English)
For nouns denoting administration, various governments, the American version is characterized by the absence of an article, in British English a definite one is used:
Management has closed the mine. (American English) - The Management has closed the mine.(British English)
However, there are cases where the article is used in American, while in British it is simply omitted:
to hospital (British English) - to the hospital (American English)
in the future (British English) - in the future (American English)
at university (British English) - in the university (American English)
c) Introductory words. Only in American English, the introductory words still and yet in the meaning of "however", "yet", "nevertheless" are synonyms and are translated as:
She has many friends, she still feels lonely. She has many friends and yet she feels lonely.
I still love him. - And yet, I love him.
d) Adjective. The adjectives slow, real, awful in American English are used mainly as adverbs:
to drive slowly (British English) - to drive slowly (American English)
really nice (British English) - real nice (American English)
I felt awfully sleepy (British English). - I felt awful sleepy. (American English)
In general, Americans use more adjectives, and unlike the British, they prefer long words.

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