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7THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
QODIROVA MUHABAT
The teacher of department of Practical course of English language at Bokhtar State University named after Nosiri Khusraw. Bokhtar, Aini street 63, Tajikistan.
Annotation. Nevertheless, it remains the case that although spoken American and British English are generally mutually intelligible, there are enough differences to cause occasional misunderstandings or at times embarrassment - for example, some words that are quite innocent in one dialect may be considered vulgar in the other. Regional dialects in the United States typically reflect the elements of the language of the main immigrant groups in any particular region of the country, especially in terms of pronunciation and vernacular vocabulary.
Key words: although, mutually, intelligible, enough differences, occasional misunderstandings, embarrassment, quite innocent, vulgar, immigrant groups, particular.
It goes without saying that American English (variously abbreviated AmE, AE, Am Eng and US Eng) is the most wide-spread variation of the English language. Approximately two-thirds of native speakers of English live in the United States and consequently speak American English. However British English (BrE) was a kind of base, original source of American English. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. And now we will try to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English. [5, p. 65]
- English and American English Spelling
Here is the table demonstrating the principal differences in spelling between English and American English:
1
BrE AmE
Final -l is always doubled after one vowel in stressed rebel > rebelled rebel >
and unstressed syllables in English but usually only in stressed syllables in American English rebelled
travel > travelled travel > traveled
Some words end in -tre in English and -ter in centre center
American English
theatre theater
Some words end in -ogue in English and -og in American English analogue analog
catalogue catalog
Some words end in -our in English and -or in colour color
American English
labour labor
Some verbs end in -ize or -ise in English but only in - realise, realize realize
ize in American English
harmonise, harmonize
harmonize
- Differences in grammar
The British use the present perfect to talk about a past action which has an effect on the present moment. In American English both simple past and present perfect are possible in such situations.have lost my pen. Can you borrow me yours? (BrE) lost my pen. OR I have lost my pen. (AmE) differences include the use of already, just and yet. The British use the present perfect with these adverbs of indefinite time. In American English simple past and present perfect are both
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possible.has just gone home. (BrE) just went home. OR He has just gone home. (AmE) have already seen this movie. (BrE) have already seen this movie. OR I already saw this movie. (AmE) hasn't come yet. (BrE) hasn't come yet. OR She didn't come yet. (AmE)British normally use "have got" to show possession. In American English "have" (in the structure do you have) and "have got" are both possible.
Have you got a car? (BrE)
Do you have a car? OR Have you got a car? (AmE)British English it is fairly common to use shall with the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall.shall/will never forget this favour. (BrE) will never forget this favor. (AmE) offers the British use shall. Americans use should.
Shall I help you with the homework? (BrE)
Should I help you with the homework? (AmE)British English needn't and don't need to are both possible. Americans normally use don't need to.needn't reserve seats. OR You don't need to reserve seats. (BrE) don't need to reserve seats. (AmE) American English it is particularly common to use subjunctive after words like essential, vital, important, suggest, insist, demand, recommend, ask, advice etc. (Subjunctive is a special kind of present tense which has no -s in the third person singular. It is commonly used in that clauses after words which express the idea that something is important or desirable.) In British English the subjunctive is formal and unusual. British people normally use should + Infinitive or ordinary present and past tenses.is essential that every child get an opportunity to learn. (AmE) is essential that every child gets an opportunity to learn. (BrE) is important that he be told. (AmE) is important that he should be told. (BrE) suggested that I see a doctor. (AmE) suggested that I should see a doctor. (BrE) nouns like jury, team, family, government etc., can take both singular and plural verbs in British English. In American English they normally take a singular verb.committee meets/meet tomorrow. (BrE) committee meets tomorrow. (AmE) team is/are going to lose. (BrE) team is going to lose. (AmE)American English it is common to use like instead of as if/ as though. This is not correct in British English.talks as if he knew everything. (BrE) talks like/as if he knew everything. (AmE) American English it is also common to use were instead of was in unreal comparisons.talks as if he was rich. (BrE) talks as if he were rich. (AmE)normally use he/she, him/her, his/her to refer back to one. In British English one is used throughout the sentence.must love one's country. (BrE) must love his/her country. (AmE)American English mid position adverbs are placed before auxiliary verbs and other verbs. In British English they are placed after auxiliary verbs and before other verbs.has probably arrived now. (BrE) probably has arrived now. (AmE) am seldom late for work. (BrE) seldom am late for work. (AmE)
- Difference in vocabulary
Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example:: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted): (American English - trousers, British English - underwear)are many more examples (too many for us to list here). Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles.English - hoodEnglish - bonnetEnglish - trunkEnglish - bootEnglish -truckEnglish - lorry
- Equivalent idioms
A number of English idioms that have essentially the same meaning show lexical differences between the British and the American version, for example:
2
British English American English
not touch something with a bargepole not touch something with a ten-foot pole
sweep under the carpet sweep under the rug
touch wood knock on wood
throw a spanner (in the works) throw a (monkey) wrench (in the
works)
skeleton in the cupboard skeleton in the closet
blow one's trumpet blow (or toot) one's horn
a drop in the ocean a drop in the bucket
storm in a teacup tempest in a teapot
flogging a dead horse beating a dead horse
if the cap fits (wear it) if the shoe fits (wear it)
if the hat fits (wear it)
see the wood for the trees see the forest for the trees
lie of the land lay of the land
- General differences in usage
We usually write abbreviations without full stops in modern British English. Full stops (US 'periods') are normal in American English.(US Mr.) = Mister(US Dr.) = Doctor(US Ltd.) = Limited (company) (US kg.) = kilogramare also differences in expressions with prepositions and particles: from/than (US)from/to (GB) something (out) (US) something (GB) something over/again (US) something again (GB) on X street (US) in X street (GB) a team (US) a team (GB) through/to Friday (US) to Friday (GB)American English, it is common to leave out on before the days of the week.am seeing her Sunday morning. (US) people say at the weekend; Americans say on the weekend did you do at the weekend? (GB) did you do on the weekend? (US)American English, in can be used, like for, to talk about periods up to the present. (British English only for).haven't seen her in years. (US)a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, this, my), both and both of are both possible in British English. In American English, both of is usual.
Both (of) my parents like riding. (GB)
Both of my parents like riding. (US)a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, this, my), all and all of are both possible in British English. American English usually has all of has eaten all (of) the cake. (GB) has eaten all of the cake. (US) [13]course, we haven't noticed all the differences between British English and American English. But the most common were enlisted. As it is important not to mix these varieties in your speech, all these differences should be explained at school and other educational institutions. The next part of our work will be devoted to the plans of the model lessons the topic of which is the difference between British English and American English.
LITERTURE:
1. Guterman N.G. An Anthology of Modern English and American Verse. - Leningrad, 1963.
2. Ступников И.В. Хрестоматия по английской литературе. -Ленинград: Просвещение, 1975.
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4. Rаюмов О. Чет эл адабиёти тарихи. -Тошкент: Еттувчи, 1979.
5. Pfordresher John, Veidemanis Gladys V., McDonnel Helen. England in Literature.- Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1988.
6. Пуришев Б.И., Колесников Б.И. Хрестоматия по зарубежной литературе. - Москва: Высшая школа, 1970.
7. Пуришев Б.И. Зарубежная литература средних веков. -Москва: Просвещение, 1975.
8. World Book Encyclopedia. - Chicago, London, Sydney, Toronto: A Scott Fetzer Company, 1995, 26 volumes.
