American and British 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

In British English there can be a noun (e.g. pilot) after appear, feel, look, seem and sound.

She seemed (to be) a good pilot.

She seemed (to be) a good pilot.

I felt a fool.

AMERICAN

Americans do not say 'She seemed a good pilot.' They use to be or like after these verbs.

She seemed to be a good pilot. OR She seemed like a good pilot.

It looks to be a lovely evening. OR It looks like a lovely evening.

I felt like a fool.

B Present perfect and past simple

The British use the present perfect for recent actions, and especially with just, already and yet.

Bob has washed the dishes, look.

We've already eaten our lunch.

I've just seen Elaine.

Have you corrected your work yet?

The British normally use the present perfect with ever and never, not the past simple.

Have you ever played cricket?

The child has never seen snow before.

Americans can use either the present perfect or the past simple in these sentences.

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

We've already eaten our lunch. OR We already ate our lunch.

I've just seen Elaine. OR I just saw Elaine.

Have you corrected your work yet? OR Did you correct your work yet?

Americans normally use the past simple with ever and never, but the present perfect is possible.

Did you ever play baseball? OR Have you ever played baseball?

The child never saw snow before. OR The child has never seen snow before.

C Shall

The British use will for the future, but they can also use shall in the first person.

I will/I shall be here tomorrow.

We will/We shall contact you.

The British use shall to make an offer.

Shall I make the coffee?

The British can use Shall we ...? for a suggestion.

Shall we go for a walk?

Americans do not normally use shall for the future.

I will be here tomorrow.

We will contact you.

Americans normally use should to make an offer.

Should I make the coffee?

Americans do not normally use shall in suggestions.

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.

He's made a lot of money from his business activities.

Your driving has got better.

In the US, have gotten expresses an action.

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

Americans also use gotten meaning 'become'.

Your driving has gotten better.

E Negatives and questions with have

In Britain there are two different structures.

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

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

Americans normally use the auxiliary do.

I don't have enough time.

Does Carol have a computer?

In the past tense, did is usual in both countries.

We didn't have tickets.

F Emphatic do

The British can use do with an imperative for emphasis.

Have a piece of cake. OR Do have a piece of cake.

Do with an imperative is less common in the US.

Have a piece of cake.

G Do for an action

The British can use do to refer to an action already mentioned.

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

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

Americans do not use do in this way.

I don't practice as often as I should.

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

H Question tags

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

The British use can't to say that something is impossible.

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

Americans can also use mustn't to say that something is impossible.

I called, but there's no reply. They can't be home./They mustn't be home.

J Needn't and don't need to

The British can use either form.

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

Americans do not normally use needn't.

You don't need to see the inspector.

K Group nouns

In Britain a group noun can usually take either a singular or a plural verb.

The crowd was/were getting restless.

Sweden plays/play Germany tomorrow.

In the US a group noun takes a singular verb.

The crowd was getting restless.

Sweden plays Germany tomorrow.

L The

The British use the with a musical instrument.

I can play the piano.

The British say in hospital.

My sister is still in hospital.

Americans can leave out the.

I can play piano/play the piano.

Americans say in the hospital.

My sister is still in the hospital.

M Numbers

The British use and between hundred and the rest of the number.

six hundred and twenty

Americans can leave out and.

six hundred 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

The British use you for people in general, including the speaker. In more formal English they can use one.

You/One can't be too careful.

Americans use you for people in general. One is unusual.

You can't be too careful.

P Somewhere and someplace

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

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

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 Friday He'll be on the road (from) Tuesday through Friday.

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

Note the prepositions after different.

BRITISH AMERICAN

This cup is different from/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

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

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

It's important that everything goes/everything should go according to plan.

The British normally use the present simple or should. (They use the subjunctive only in formal English.)

AMERICAN

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

It's important that everything go according to plan.

Americans normally use a form called 'the subjunctive', e.g. get, go.

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 also possible.

They burnt/burned the old sofa.

You've spelt/spelled this word wrong.

Americans normally use the ed ending,

They burned the old sofa.

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.