There are many differences between British and American English. Generally, it doesn't matter which variety of English you speak or write, and most native English speakers will understand you – whichever type of English you use. Here are some of the biggest differences between British and American English. Vocabulary Some common vocabulary differences are: pavement (GB) – sidewalk (US) lift (GB) – elevator (US) lorry (GB) – truck (US) rubbish (GB) – garbage / trash (US) holiday (GB) – vacation (US) return ticket (GB) – round trip (US) Check in a dictionary to see if a word is particularly British or American English. A good dictionary should also give you the American or British equivalent. Grammar 1. British speakers use "yet" with the present perfect tense, while American speakers tend to use the Past Simple: Have you eaten dinner yet? (GB) Did you eat dinner yet? (US) 2. "at the weekend" (GB) but "on the weekend" (US) 3. British speakers will often ...
Many of the speaking patterns we use are not suitable in business writing. For example, if you listen to a conversation, you might hear incomplete sentences, sudden subject changes, or abbreviated versions of words and phrases. Although these expressions are common in casual conversation, they are confusing and inappropriate when you are writing to a customer, supervisor, or employer. Avoid these things in written communication. Incomplete Sentences Quite often,we use fragments when we speak.We count on our tone of voice and our expression or the reaction of the listener to fill in the spaces. In writing, this isn’t possible, so it’s important to write complete sentences that express complete thoughts. See Chapter 3 to learn how to avoid sentence fragments. Sudden Subject Changes In everyday conversation,we switch subjects easily.Two speakers can exchange far more information in two minutes than a reader can absorb in the same time period.That’s why it’s important to use the reader’s t...
Idioms Beginning With 'E' Each to their own Different people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to his own' is more common. Eager beaver A person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver. Eagle eyes Someone who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small. Early bath (UK) If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong. Early bird catches the worm The early bird catches the worm means that if you start something early, you stand a better chance of success. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially. Earn a living To make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living. Easier said than done If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when so...
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