All Differences Between the American and the British English

1. Alsalamo Alaykom


2. American


3. ‘Las Vegas is in Nevada, isn’t it?

Alsalamo Alaykom

the British English or some of you prefer calling and titling them as AmE & BrE. This effort has taken a lot of time for both looking for and typing it
It's my pleasure that someone may correct his/her understanding about some words or expressions especially those who're close to the English civilization and culture through so many ways like movies, channels, and so on
No 1: seem, look, etc
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
It looks (to be) a lovely evening
I felt a fool
Americans don’t say she seemed a good pilot
They use to be or like after these verbs
She seemed to be agood 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
No 2: Present Perfect and Past Simple
The British use the present perfect for recent actions, and esspecially 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 you 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
American 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 Eline
Have you corrected your work yet ? or Did you correct your work yet ?
American 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 never seen snow before
No 3: Shall
The British use will for the future, but they can also use shall in the first person
I will/shall be here tomorrow
We will/shall contact you
The British use shall to make an offer
Shall I make the coffee ?
The British can use Shall we ….? For a fuggestion
Shall we go for a walk ?
Americans don’t normally use shall for the future
I will be here tomorrow
We will contact you
Americans normally use should e.g. Should I make the coffee ?
Americans don’t not normally use shall in suggestions
How about a walk ? Would you like to take a walk ?
No 4: Got and gotten
Both have and have got are used in Britain and in the US
He has a lot of money or he’s got a lot of money
The British don’t 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
No 5: Negatives and questions with have
In Britain there are two different structures
I’ve not (got) enough time or I didn’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?
Remember that in the past tense, did is usual in both countries
e.g. We didn’t have tickets
No 6: Emphatic do
The British can use do with an imperative for emphasis
Have a piece of cake or Do have a piece of cake
In US, do with an imperative is less common in the US
Have a piece of cake
No 7: 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 practise as often as I should
You’d better take your pill. ~ I already have
No 8: Question tags
Both the British and the the Americans can use question tags when talking about facts
British
‘Blackpool is in Lancashire, isn’t it?

American

‘Las Vegas is in Nevada, isn’t it?

But in general Americans use tags much often less than the British. They don't use tags to persuade or to argue. A sentence like you're not listening to me, are you? is British but not American. But Americans often use right? Or OK? as tags
British:
I'll bring the luggage, shall I ?
American:
I'll bring the baggage in, OK ?
No 9: 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
No 10: Needn't and need to
The British can use either form
You needn't see the inspector or You don't need to see the inspector
Americans don't normally use needn't
You don't need to see the inspector
No 11: Group nouns
In Britain a group noun can usually take either a singular or a plural verb
The crowd was/were getting restless
Sweden play/plays Germany tomorrow
In the US a group noun take a singular verb
The crowd was getting restless
Sweden plays Germany tomorrow
No 12: 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 leave out the
I can play piano /play the piano
Americans say in the hospital
My sister is still in the hospital
No 13: 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
No 14: Dates
There're a number of different ways of writing and saying dates, but these are the most common
British
23June
'The twenty-third of June' or 'June the twenty-third'
American
June 23 or 'June twenty-third'
No 15: 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
No 16: Somewhere and someplace
In informal American English, everyplace, someplace, anyplace and no place can be used as well as everywhere, somewhere, etc
British: Let's find somewhere to eat
American: Let's find somewhere/someplace to eat
No 17: Adjectives and adverbs
In informal speech we can sometimes use an adjective form instead of an adverb. Americans do this more than the British
British
We had some really nice weather
It certainly doesn't make things any easier
American
We had some really nice/some real nice weather
It certainly/sure doesn't make things any easier
No 18: Prepositions
There're some differences in prepositions
British
Round/around the village
Towards/toward the west
Looking out of the window
Outside the town
American
Around the village
Toward the west
Looking out the window/ out of the window
Outside the town/ outside of the town
In American English there's a special use of through as a preposition of time
British
He'll be on the road from Tuesday to/till Friday
They'll stay in Brighton until the end of April
American
He'll be on the road (from) Tuesday through Friday
They'll stay in Miami through April
Note and pay close attention the prepositions after different
British
This cup is different from/to the others
American
This cup is different from/than the others
Compare these expressions
British
In Bond Street
At the weekend, at weekends
Stay at home
A player in the team
Ten minutes past four
Twenty to seven
Write to me
Talk to someone
Meet someone
American
On Fifth Avenue
On the weekend, on weekends
Stay home
A player on the team
Ten minutes past/after four
Twenty to/of seven
Write me/write to me
Talk to/with someone
Meet with someone
No 19: In case
In case can have different meanings
British
Take an umbrella in case it rains = (because it may rain)
American
In case you're sick, you should call the office = (if you're sick )
No 20: Go and
Americans can leave out and from the structure
British
I'll go and buy the tickets
American
I'll go buy/I'll go and buy the tickets
No 21: 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
No 22: 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
British
The British prefer that t ending, although ed is also possible
They burnt/burned the old sofa
You've spelt/spelled this word wrong
American
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
British
I dreamt/dreamed about you
American
I dreamed about you
These three forms endings in t have the vowel sound /e/. For example, dreamt is pronounced /dremt/, the verb dive is regular in Britain but can be irregular in US
British
Craig dived into the water
American
Craig dived/dove into the water
Dived is pronounced /daivd/, and dove is pronounced /dauv /
Best Regards