词汇 | grammar_british-grammar_british-and-american-english |
释义 | British and American EnglishMost of the differences between the English of the UK (which we shall call BrE) and the English of North America (which we shall call AmE) are vocabulary differences and differences in pronunciation and spelling. However, there are some differences in the way grammar is used. Almost all of the structures in this book are used in both varieties, but there are often differences in how common a structure is in one variety or the other. There are fewer differences in writing than in speaking. Grammar is always changing, and many new ways of using grammar in BrE come from AmE, because of the influence of American popular culture, American media and the Internet. See also: Spelling British and American English: verbsBe going toSpoken English: AmE speakers often use be going to (and the informal short form gonna) when giving street directions, which is not a typical use in BrE. BrE speakers normally use imperatives (with and without you), and present simple or future forms with will: [AmE]
[BrE]
Burn, learn, dream, etc.In BrE, we can spell the past simple and -ed participle of verbs such as burn, dream, lean, learn, smell, spell, spill with either -ed (learned, spilled) or -t (learnt, spilt). AmE prefers the -ed ending: [BrE]
[AmE]
[BrE]
[AmE]
FitIn BrE, the past simple form of fit is usually fitted. In AmE, the past simple form of fit is most often fit: [BrE]
[a woman is remembering her poor childhood, AmE]
GetIn BrE, the three forms of get are get (base form), got (past simple) and got (-ed form). In AmE, get has an -ed form gotten: [AmE]
Get + to-infinitive is common in AmE to refer to achievements, meaning ‘manage to’ or ‘be able to’. This usage is less common in BrE: [talking about American football, AmE]
[talking about a camping trip in the forest, AmE]
See also: Get Have and have gotThe present simple form of have got referring to possession or relationships is much more common in spoken BrE than in AmE. AmE speakers often prefer to use the verb have on its own: [BrE]
[AmE]
See also: Have got and have Have got to and have toHave got to is much more common in BrE than AmE. Have to (without got) is more common in AmE than in BrE: [BrE]
[AmE]
See also: Have got to and have to ShallBrE speakers often use shall with I and we in statements when referring to the future, especially in more formal situations. AmE prefers will: [BrE]
[AmE]
See also: Shall Will Substitute verb doBrE speakers often add the substitute verb do to short clauses with modal verbs, especially in short answers. AmE speakers prefer to use the modal verb on its own: [a group of students talk about the grades they might get in an exam, BrE]
[AmE]
See also: Substitution British and American English: verb tense formsThe present perfectThe present perfect is less common in AmE than BrE. AmE speakers often use the past simple in situations where BrE speakers use the present perfect, especially with words such as already and yet: [BrE]
[AmE]
[BrE]
[AmE]
See also: Present The past perfectThe past perfect is more common in AmE than in BrE, especially in situations where the speaker sees one event as happening before another in the past: [talking about a TV series shown over several nights, AmE]
[BrE]
[A is asking B about his past, AmE]
[A is asking B about his past, BrE]
See also: Past perfect simple (I had worked) British and American English: prepositionsAt the weekend/on the weekendBrE prefers at the weekend; AmE prefers on the weekend: [BrE]
[AmE]
See also: At In + period of time after a negativeAmE uses in + a period of time after a negative verb in situations where BrE prefers for: [AmE]
[AmE]
See also: In, into For In and on with street namesBrE uses in with street names. AmE prefers on: [BrE]
[AmE]
See also: In, into On, onto At, on and in (place) ThroughAmE uses through in many situations where BrE prefers to or till when referring to the end points of periods of time: [AmE]
[an elderly woman is talking about her working life, BrE]
See also: Across or through? Adjectives and adverbsReally, realIn informal spoken AmE, speakers often use real instead of really before an adjective. This is considered non-standard by many AmE speakers: [AmE]
[AmE]
Well and goodAmE speakers often use good where BrE prefers well. However, the AmE form is becoming more common in BrE, especially after greetings such as How are you?, How’s it going?: [AmE]
LikelyAmE allows the use of likely as an adjective (in the same way as probable, possible, etc.), or as an adverb (in the same way as probably, possibly, etc.). In BrE, likely is normally only used as an adjective: [AmE]
[AmE]
[AmE]
See also: Likely and unlikely TagsQuestion tags are much more common in BrE than in AmE, but a wide range of question tags are used in both varieties: [BrE]
[AmE]
In informal situations, AmE speakers often use a tag with rising intonation in responses which show surprise or emotional involvement. The tag has the same form as the statement the speaker is responding to (affirmative statement → affirmative tag; negative statement → negative tag). This is not common in BrE: [AmE]
[AmE]
Tags at the end of affirmative statements which have an affirmative form occur in both varieties but are quite rare in AmE: [BrE]
[AmE]
Both varieties use the tag right, but it is more common in AmE:
See also: Tags |
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