304 Differences with noun phrases1 Group nouns The British can use a singular or a plural verb after a group noun.. active participle the ing-form of a verb used after be in the continuo
Trang 1304 Differences with noun phrases
1 Group nouns
The British can use a singular or a plural verb after a group noun • 156
GB: The committee needs/need more time.
Holland isn't/aren't going to win.
The Americans prefer a singular verb
US: The committee needs/need more time.
After a name the Americans always use a singular verb
US: Holland isn't going to win.
2 Two nouns together
When we use two nouns together, the first is not normally plural: a grocery store, a word processor, • 147(4) There are some exceptions in Britain but Americans
almost always use a singular noun
GB: a careers adviser an antique/antiques dealer
US: a career counselor an antique dealer
3 The with musical instruments
The British use the with a musical instrument (play the piano), but Americans
sometimes leave it out (play piano).
4 The with hospital and university
The British talk about a patient in hospital and a student at (the) university, • 168.
Americans say that someone is in the hospital or at the university.
5 This and that on the telephone
People in both countries say This is to say who they are, but usage is different
when they ask who the other person is
GB: Who is that?
Mainly US: Who is this?
6 The pronoun one
Americans do not often use one meaning 'people in general'; and they do not use
one's or oneself.
GB: One must consider one's legal position.
US: You must consider your legal position.
People must consider their legal position.
PAGE 393 304 Differences with noun phrases
Trang 240 AMERICAN ENGLISH PAGE 394
7 Numbers
The British use and between hundred and the rest of a number, but Americans can
leave it out
GB/US: two hundred and fifty
US only: two hundred fifty
8 Dates
There are a number of different ways of saying and writing dates, • 195(2)
Americans often say July fourth In Britain the fourth of July and July the fourth are
the most usual
305 Differences with adjectives and adverbs
1 Well, ill etc
The adjectives well, fine, ill and unwell referring to health usually come in
predicative position • 200(2)
GB/US: Our secretary is ill.
But they can be attributive, especially in America
Mainly US: an ill man
NOTE
Sick and healthy can go in both positions In Britain be sick means to vomit, to bring up food.
GB: Trevor's daughter was sick all over the carpet.
2 Adjectives and adverbs
In informal speech we can sometimes use an adjective form instead of an adverb Americans do this more than the British
GB/US: That was really nice of her.
It certainly is raining.
Mainly US: That was real nice of her.
It sure is raining.
3 Somewhere and someplace
In informal American English everyplace, someplace and noplace can be used as well as everywhere, somewhere and nowhere.
GB/US: Let's go out somewhere.
US only: Let's go out someplace.
306 Differences with prepositions
1 Out (of) and round/around
The British normally say look out of the window, although look out the window is possible in informal speech Americans prefer look out the window The British say either round the park or around the park Americans prefer around the park.
Trang 3307 Differences with conjunctions
2 Except for and aside from
Where the British use except for, Americans can also use aside from.
GB/US: I'm all right now, except for a headache.
US only: I'm all right now, aside from a headache.
3 Through and till/until
Americans can use through for the time when something finishes.
US: They will stay in New York (from January) through April.
GB/US: They will stay in London (from January) till/until April.
With through April, the time includes the whole of April With until April they may leave before the end of April We can also express the meaning of through like this.
GB/US: They will stay in London until the end of April.
In British English we can also use inclusive This is rather formal.
Mainly GB: Monday to Friday inclusive
US only: Monday through Friday
4 Idiomatic uses
in Oxford Street
at the weekend/at weekends
a player in the team
twenty (minutes) past ten
ten (minutes) to three
write to someone
visit someone
talk to someone
protest about/against something
on Fifth Avenue
on the weekend/on weekends
a player on the team twenty (minutes) past/after ten ten (minutes) to/of three write someone/write to someone visit someone/visit with someone talk to/with someone
protest something
protest about/against something
5 Prepositions after different
GB: Your room is different from/to ours.
US: Your room is different from/than ours.
307 Differences with conjunctions
1 Go/Come and
Americans can leave out and from this pattern.
GB/US: Go and take a look outside.
Mainly US: Go take a look outside.
PAGE 395
Trang 42 In case and lest
The British use in case meaning 'because something might happen', • 259(7) Americans use so or lest Lest is formal.
Mainly GB: Go quietly in case anyone hears you.
GB/US: Go quietly so no one can hear you.
Mainly US: Go quietly lest anyone hear you (formal).
In America, in case often means 'if.
US: If you need/In case you need any help, let me know.
3 Immediately
Americans do not use immediately as a conjunction.
GB/US: As soon as I saw him, I recognized him.
GB only: Immediately I saw him, I recognized him.
308 American spelling
Some words end in our in Britain but in or in America: color, labor, neighbor Some words end in tre in Britain but in ter in America: center, liter.
Some verbs can end either with ize or with ise in Britain but only with ize in
America: apologize, organize, realize.
In Britain there is doubling of l in an unstressed syllable; • 293(3) Note In some American words there is no doubling: marvelous, signaled, councilor.
Here are some words with different spellings
GB US GB US
analyse analyze labelled labeled apologize/apologise apologize labour labor
axe axe/ax litre liter
behaviour behavior marvellous marvelous catalogue catalog/catalogue metre (= 100 cm) meter
centre center neighbour neighbor cheque (money) check organize/organise organize colour color plough plow
councillor councilor practise (verb) practice (verb counsellor counselor practice (noun) and noun) defence defense/defence pyjamas pajamas dialogue dialog/dialogue realize/realise realize favour favor signalled signaled grey gray/grey skilful skillful honour honor theatre theater humour humor through through jail/gaol jail thru (informal) jeweller jeweler travelling traveling kerb (edge of curb tyre (on a wheel) tire
pavement)
40 AMERICAN ENGLISH
Trang 5PAGE 397
Glossary
abstract noun See concrete noun.
action verb a verb that refers to something happening or changing, e.g do, walk,
buy, speak • 62
active See passive.
active participle the ing-form of a verb used after be in the continuous (I was
watching) and in other patterns • 134
adding relative clause a clause with commas around it that adds extra
information, e.g Bernard, who was feeling unwell, left early • 274
adjective a word like big, new, special, famous • 197
adjective phrase An adjective phrase is either an adjective on its own, e.g sweet,
tall, hopeful, or an adjective with an adverb of degree, e.g very sweet, a lot taller, quite hopeful.
adverb In the sentence The time passed slowly, the word slowly is an adverb.
Adverbs are words like easily, there, sometimes, quite, possibly They express
ideas such as how, when or where something happens, or how true
something is
adverb phrase An adverb phrase is either an adverb on its own, e.g carefully,
often, probably, or an adverb which is modified by an adverb of degree, e.g very carefully, more often, quite probably.
adverbial The adverb late, the phrase in a hurry and the clause because I was cold
all function as adverbials in these sentences: The show started late We did
everything in a hurry I put a coat on because I was cold.
adverbial clause In the sentence I'll ring you when I get home, the clause when I get home functions as an adverbial Compare I'll ring you later • 248
agent The agent is the person, animal or thing doing the action In an active
sentence it is the subject: Max told me the news In a passive sentence there is
sometimes an agent after by: I was told the news by Max.
agreement the choice of the correct verb form after a subject: My ear torts but My
ears hurt •150
apostrophe In the phrase Karen's friend there is an apostrophe between Karen
and s.
apposition In the sentence The Chairman, Mr Byers, was absent, the two noun
phrases are in apposition • 14
article A/an is the indefinite article, and the is the definite article.
aspect A verb can have continuous aspect (is walking, was looking) or perfect
aspect (has walked, had looked), or both (have been waiting).
attributive the position of an adjective before a noun, e.g a cold day
auxiliary verb a verb such as be, have, do, will, can which we use with an ordinary
verb • 60 (2)
bare infinitive an infinitive without to, e.g come, drive •115
base form the form of a verb without an ending, e.g come, call, decide
classifying relative clause a relative clause that tells us what kind is meant, e.g a
computer that will correct my spelling • 272 (3b)
clause The sentence We stayed at home is a single clause The sentence We stayed
at home because it rained has two clauses We stayed at home is the main clause,
Trang 6and because it rained is the sub clause A clause always has a verb (stayed, rained) The verb can be finite or non-finite In the sentence We all wanted to go out, there is a finite clause with wanted and a non-finite clause with to go See
finite.
comment adverb e.g luckily, incredibly • 215
comparative Comparative forms are older, more famous, more efficiently etc.
• 217
complement a noun phrase or adjective phrase that comes after a linking verb
such as be: You're the boss, Al looked unhappy, • 9 These complements relate
to the subject; they are subject complements See also object complement.
compound a word made up of other words, e.g something (some + thing),
wristwatch (wrist + watch)
concrete noun A concrete noun is a noun referring to something that we can see
or touch, e.g man, bottle, grass, shop An abstract noun refers to an idea, quality
or action, something we cannot see or touch, e.g science, excitement, stupidity,
routine.
conditional clause a clause expressing a condition, e.g If you need a ticket, I'll get
you one • 255
conjunction A conjunction is a word like and, but, because, when, that, which
links two clauses
consonant See vowel.
continuous a verb form with be and an active participle, e.g The film is starting
now • 61(4)
continuous infinitive e.g to be doing, to be working
co-ordinate clause a clause linked to another by and, but or or
countable noun a noun that can be either singular or plural, e.g bag(s), road(s),
hour(s) • 144
definite article the word the
degree An adverb of degree is a word like very, rather, quite • 212
demonstrative This, that, these and those are demonstrative determiners or
pronouns • 175
determiner a word that can come before a noun to form a noun phrase, e.g a, the,
this, my • 143(2a)
direct object See indirect object.
direct speech See indirect speech.
echo question a form which requests the repetition of information, e.g She's gone
to Siberia ~ Where has she gone? • 35(1)
echo tag a short question form expressing interest, e.g I play chess ~ Oh, do you?
• 35(2)
emphasis/emphatic/emphasize making a word or phrase more important,
drawing special attention to a word or phrase
emphatic pronoun a pronoun such as myself or themselves, emphasizing a noun
phrase, e.g The Queen herself visited the scene • 1 8 6
empty subject In the sentence It was raining, it is an empty subject It has no
meaning, but we use it because we need a subject
empty verb In expressions like have a wash, give a laugh, have and give are empty
verbs It is the nouns wash and laugh which express the action • 87
end position at the end of a sentence
exclamation a special pattern with how or what, e.g What a time you've been! or
any sentence spoken with emphasis and feeling, e.g Quick!
Trang 7PAGE 399 GLOSSARY
finite A finite verb is one like goes, waited, was causing, have seen, will be, can
carry It either has a tense (present or past) or a modal verb It can be the verb in
a simple one-clause sentence A non-finite verb is an infinitive, gerund or
participle, e.g to go, waiting A clause is a finite clause (she goes to college) or a non-finite clause (going to college), depending on whether the verb is finite or
not • 59
focus adverbial e.g only, even, especially • 213
formal We speak in a more formal style to strangers than we do to our friends We
use formal language to be polite, or on official occasions A business letter is
more formal than a letter to a friend I am afraid I have no information is more formal than Sorry, I don't know.
frequency An adverbial of frequency tells us how often, e.g always, twice a week
• 211
front position at the beginning of a sentence
full form See short form.
future continuous a form with will + be + active participle: I will be playing golf
all afternoon • 75
future perfect a form with will + have + past participle: We will have saved enough
money soon • 79
gender The words waiter (male/masculine) and waitress (female/feminine) are
different in gender
gerund the ing-form of a verb used like a noun, e.g Sailing is fun I've given up
smoking.
gerund clause a clause with a gerund as its verb, e.g Running a business isn't easy I like sitting outside.
group noun (or collective noun) a noun referring to a group, e.g team, gang,
class, audience • 156
identifying relative clause (or defining relative clause) a relative clause that tells
us which one is meant, e.g the man who lives next door • 272(3a)
idiom/idiomatic a group of words with a meaning which is different from the
meanings of the individual words, e.g come off (- succeed), make up your
mind (= decide)
imperative the base form of the verb used to give orders, express good wishes etc:
Wait there Have a good time • 19
indefinite article a or an
indirect object In the sentence They gave the children presents, the noun phrase
presents is the direct object, and the noun phrase the children is the indirect
object The indirect object often expresses the person receiving something • 10
indirect question How much is this picture? is a direct question In an indirect
question, we put the question in a sub clause: Could you tell me how much this picture is?
indirect speech Direct speech is reporting someone's words by repeating them: 'I
know the answer,' Karen said Indirect speech is giving the meaning in our own words: Karen said she knew the answer • 263
infinitive The infinitive is the base form of the verb, e.g They let us stay the night.
We often use it with to, e.g They invited us to stay the night • 115
infinitive clause a clause with an infinitive as its verb, e.g He decided to open the box You'll need to work hard.
informal We use an informal style in everyday conversation and when we write to
a friend See also formal.