1. Unit 17
British and American English

2. 1. Morphology
In American English, a number of irregular verbs have become regularised, while remaining irregular in British English:
a) In many instances, it is only the voicing of the past tense morpheme -(e)d which has been changed to regularise the verb:

3. Past Participle Past Participle burn burnt burned dwell dwelt dwelled
British English American English
Present Past or Past or
Past Participle Past Participle
burn burnt burned
dwell dwelt dwelled
learn learnt learned
smell smelt smelled
spell spelt spelled
spill spilt spilled
spoil spoilt spoiled

4. b) In some irregular British English verbs, there is a vowel change from /i/ in the present to /e/ in the past participle forms. The American
English forms retain the present tense vowel in the following cases, as well as voicing the ending.

5. Past Participle Past Participle
British English American English
Present Past or Past or
Past Participle Past Participle
dream dreamt /dremt/ dreamed/drimd/
kneel knelt /nelt/ kneeled/ni:ld/
lean leant/lent/ leaned/li:nd/
leap leapt/lept/ leaped/li:pt/

6. c) The past participle " gotten " is not used in British English
c) The past participle " gotten " is not used in British English. In American English, it was formerly restricted to being used in the sense of " obtain" or " acquire":
I've gotten a new car since I last saw
you.

7. We have gotten home late again.
Now , however, " gotten" can be used in all meanings except for "have" in American English:
We have gotten home late again.
They have gotten me into trouble again.
We had already gotten off
the train when it was hit.

8. I have got plenty to eat.
I have got the idea now.
( understand )

9. 2. Derivational
Two verb-forming affixes which are somewhat more productive In American English than British English are:
-ify: citify, humidify, uglify
-ize: burglarize, decimalize,
hospitalize, rubberize, slenderize

10. b) Another way of forming new words is by simply changing a word’s grammatical class. Again, there is more of a tendency to form new words
in this way in American English than in British English,e.g:

11. a sky rocket to sky-rocket pressure to pressure (B.E. to pressurize)
Noun Verb
an author to author
a host to host
a room to room
( I room at the house. )
a sky rocket to sky-rocket
pressure to pressure
(B.E. to
pressurize)

12. 3. Auxiliaries
a) must
The negative of epistemic " must" is " can't" in Southern British
English ( In the north-west of England, " mustn't" is used rather Ethan "can't" ):
He must be in ---his TV is on.
He can't be in---his car is gone.

13. In American English, the most common negative of epistemic " must " is " must not ". Note that, unlike north-west British English, In American English this can’t be contracted to " mustn’t " without changing the meaning of the auxiliary to " not be allowed ":
He must not be in---his car is gone.
( epistemic )
You mustn't be in when we arrive.
( not allowed )

14. However, " mustn't" can be epistemic in the past perfect:
He mustn't have been in.
( Even in such cases, the uncontracted form is preferred in American English.)

15. b) used to:
In questioning or negating sentences with the modal " used to ", British English can treat " used to " either as an auxiliary, in which case it inverts in questions and receives negation, or as a lexical verb requiring " do" for these constructions:

16. Used he to go there? ( lexical verb )
He used to go there. ( auxiliary )
Used he to go there? ( lexical verb )
Did he use to go there ? ( auxiliary )
He didn't use to go there. ( lexical verb )
In American English, "used to " is treated only as a lexical verb in these constructions, and this is also becoming increasingly the case in British English.

17. British only both American and British. Did he pass his exam?
Context Do-substitution Deletion
British only both American
and British.
Did he pass his exam?
Yes, he did do Yes, he did.
Have you cleaned the room?
Yes, I have done Yes, I have.
I haven't read this yet.
But I will do But I will.
I haven't bought one.
But I may do But I may
Couldn't you do that later?
Yes, we could do Yes, we could.

18. 4. Verb Phrases
1) In British English, the copular verbs " seem, act, look and sound " can be followed directly by an indefinite noun phrase. In American English, these verbs must be followed first by the preposition " like "; " seem " can also be followed by the infinitive " to be ":

19. It seemed a long time. It seemed like a long time.
British American/British
It seemed a long time It seemed like a long
time.
He seems an intelligent
man He seems to be an
intelligent man.
John acted a real fool.
John acted like a real
fool.

20. That sounds a bad That sounds like a bad idea. idea.
British American/British
That sounds a bad That sounds like a bad idea idea.
That house looks a That house looks like a
nice one nice one.

21. 2) " like ”
British/American American
We'd like for you
to do this now.
We'd like you to
do this now.

22. 3) The verb " want " can be followed directly by the adverbs " in " and "out" in American English. In British English, " want " must be followed first by an infinitive:
British American
I wanted to come in.
I wanted to be let in I wanted in.
The dog wants to go
out The dog wants out.

23. Also " want " can be used in the sense of " need " in British English with an inanimate subject:
The house wants painting.
This is not possible in American English.

24. 4) The verb " decide " can be used as a causative verb in British English:
Non-Causative:
He decided to go because of that.
Causative:
That decided him to go.

25. In American English, " decide " can't be used as a causative; instead, a periphrastic phrase must be used, such as:
That made him decide to go.

26. “Buy” and “sell”in American English mean respectively “accept” and “cause sb. to accept”:
He would not buy that idea.
He is trying to sell us on linguistics.

27. Doubt作为动词用在肯定句中后面通常接whether或if，而在否定句中则接that,这是英国英语的用法。在美国一般用that.
I doubt that...

28. Aim后面跟at是英国用法，如：
He aimed at becoming a scientist.
而在美国则用aim to，如：
He aimed to become a doctor.

29. Raise一词在英国17、18世纪可作“grow”, “breed”, “rear”解释，后在英国此用法被淘汰，而在美国此词仍然保持原来三种意义，如：
In England, one grow farm or garden products, breed animals, and rears children. In America, one raises them all.

30. Mainstream: Originally it means a prevailing current or direction of action or influence.
Now in American English, it means “to put the students of mixed ability in one class.”

31. Some educators warn that markedly handicapped children can profit more from segregated or individual education than from being mainstreamed into classrooms with other youngsters.

32. Loan:
These are the books loaned to children for home use.
(American English)

33. Swing: to follow the fashion; to be lively and up-to-date.
This magazine has got to swing, like other magazines swing…
(American English)

34. Stag: Originally, it meant “ a social gathering of men only” in American English, for example:
a stag dinner,
a stag dance
a stag party

35. Now, “stag” can be used as a verb, meaning “to attend a mixed party unaccompanied by a girl.”
to stag it.

36. 5) There are a few verbs in British English and American English which differ in the prepositions or prepositional adverbs they collocate with:

37. to battle with/against to battle to check up on to check out
British American
to battle with/against to battle
to check up on to check out
to fill in to fill out
to meet to meet with
to prevent sth to prevent from
becoming
to protest at/against/over to protest
to stop someone doing to stop from
to visit to visit with

38. 美国英语倾向于在有些动词后面加上副词或介词，以短语动词代替单根动词，如：
American British
drown out drown
sound out sound
lose out lose
rest up rest

39. American British
miss out on miss
pay off pay
try out try
start up start

40. American British
consult with consult
visit with visit
meet with meet

41. He missed out on a chance to take the exam.
It will pay off to revisit with the city.
Alfred sounded out（试探……以了解其意图；探听某人口气） his boss about a day off from his job.

42. Noun Phrases
Count versus Mass Nouns
a) "lettuce " has characteristics of both a count and mass noun in British English, but it is only a mass noun in many varieties of American English.

43. British American (mass only)
I like lettuce I like lettuce.
Count:
a lettuce a head of lettuce
two lettuces two heads of lettuce

44. b) "sport " is a count noun in both varieties but it can also be used as an abstract mass noun in British English:
Count:
Football is a sport I like. (British )
Football is a sport I like. (American)
Mass:
John is good at sport. (British)
John is good at sports. (American)

45. Articles
a) When referring to events in the past, British English does not require the definite article before the phrase " next day ". This construction is more usual in written British English:

46. British:
Next day, the rains began.
I saw him next day.
American/British:
The next day, the rains began.
I saw him the next day.

47. b) British English does not use the definite article in the phrase " in future " in the meaning " from now on ", while American does:
British: In future, I'd like you to pay more attention to detail.
American: In the future, I'd like you to pay more attention to detail.
both: In the future, all houses will be heated by solar energy.

48. c) half
British American
half an hour a half hour
or half an hour
half a dozen eggs a half dozen
or half a dozen
half a pound of a half pound
carrots or half a pound

49. Prepositions
British American
behind in back of
out of out

50. Differences in preposition used:
a) in phrases for duration of time, British English uses " for" where American English uses "for" or "in":
British/American
I haven't seen him for weeks.
I haven't seen him for ages.
American Only
I haven't seen him in weeks.
I haven't seen him in ages.

51. b) British speakers use the preposition "at" for ' time when", with holiday seasons, as in :
British American
at the weekend over the weekend
at Christmas
over Christmas
on the weekend

52. c) In expressing clock-time, British English uses the prep
c) In expressing clock-time, British English uses the prep. "to" and "past" the hour while American English can also use " of, till and after ":
British/American
twenty to three
five past eight
American Only
twenty of three
twenty till three
five after eight

53. Adverbs:
" immediately" and "directly" can function in British English as subordinators. In American English, they must modify a subordinator, such as after:
British:
Immediately we went, it began to rain.
Go to his office directly you arrive.
American:
Immediately after we went, it began to rain.
go to his office directly after you arrive.

54. Vocabulary differences in meaning:
a) Same Word , Different Meanings:
Words British American
homely down to earth; ugly ( of people )
domestic
nervy nervous bold, full of nerve,
cheeky
pants underpants trousers
pavement footpath, sidewalk road surface
to tick off to scold to make angry

55. b) Same word, Additional meaning in one variety
b) Same word, Additional meaning in one variety. Often the additional meaning is due to a metaphorical extension of the common meaning:

56. Additional Meaning in American English:
Word Meaning Additional Meaning
in Common in American English
bathroom room with bath room with toilet
or shower only and sink
dumb mute stupid
regular consistent; average(as in size)
habitual, normal

57. Additional Meaning in American English:
Word Meaning Additional Meaning
in Common in American English
to ship to transport to transport by
by ship ship,train, plane
or truck, etc.

58. c) Additional Meaning in British English:
word Meaning Additional Meaning
in Common in B.B.
frontier a wild, open space border between
two countries
to mind to heed, obey to look after

59. c) Additional Meaning in British English:
word Meaning Additional Meaning
in Common in B.B.
smart intelligent well-groomed
surgery a medical operation an office of
any doctor

60. d) Same Concept or Item, Different Word:
US English Only Corresponds to B. B.
emcee compere
faucet tap
muffler(on car) silencer
rookie first year member
sophomore second year student
washcloth face flannel

61. hire purchase installment buying nought zero queue line
British English Only American English
dynamo generator
hire purchase installment buying
nought zero
queue line
treacle molasses
spanner monkey wrench

62. American British absorbent cotton cotton wool.
Alumnus graduate
any place anywhere.
Apartment flat.

63. American British
apartment house block of flats.
Attorney barrister or solicitor.
Automobile motorcar.
baby carriage pram
baby stroller push-chair.
Ballpoint biro.
Ballyhoo exaggerated publicity.
Bar public house.

64. American British
Barber gentlemen's
hairdresser.
beauty parlour ladies' hairdresser.
Billboard hoarding.
to blow one’s top to fly into a rage,
blue movie pornographic
or erotic film.
Bluff cliff
bobby pin hair grip

65. American British
broil grill.
to bug someone to annoy someone.
Bum tramp, vagrant.
to bump off to murder, assassinate.
Cab taxi.
call collect reverse charges.

66. American British
can tin.
Candy sweets.
to case a joint to spy out the land
before a robbery.
Cat jazz musician or fan.
Checkers draughts.
Closet cupboard.
comfort station public lavatory,
convenience.

67. American British
commercial bank clearing bank.
con-man confidence trickster.
Cookies sweet biscuits,
small cakes.
Corn maize, grain,
Crackers biscuits (dry).

68. American British
Crummy low-grade, poor
quality, dirty.
Cuffs turn-ups.
custom-made,
custom tailored made to measure.
dead end cul-de-sac.
dead-end street cul-de-sac.
Dessert sweet.
Detour diversion.