ملخص الدرس / الثالثة ثانوي/اللغة الإنجليزية/UNIT 4/We are a Family

There are some differences between British English (Br.E) and American English (Am.E) which you ought to be aware of.

Grammar:

In American English, the past simple is often used instead of the present perfect to give new information or to announce something that has just happened.

E.g. I lost my umbrella. Can I borrow yours?'

In Am.E the forms I have/I don't have! Do you have ? are more usual than I've got/I haven't got/ Have you got ?

E.g:

I have a new computer. Do you have a computer ? (Am.E)

I have got a new computer. Have you got a computer? (Br.E)

Americans say the hospital where the British omit the definite article.

E.g:

The wounded driver was taken to the hospital. (Am.E)

The wounded driver was taken to hospital. (Br.E)

In Am.E, quite means completely whereas it means very in Br.E.

Compare:

We can't do anything for him now. He is quite dead.(Am.E)

I'm surprised that you haven't heard of her. She's quite famous in the show business. (Br. E)

Am.E: has two past participle forms of get : gotten and got whereas Br.E has only one, got.

E.g:

Have you gotten/got the tickets for the concert ? (Am.E)

Have you got the tickets for the concert ? (Br.E)

In Br.E, different is followed by from, but in Am.E it is followed by than.

E.g: Their car is different than ours. (Am.E)

Their car is different from ours. (Br. E)

In Am.E such verbs as demand, require, insist, suggest, etc are followed by the infinitive without to, whereas they are followed by a should construction in Br.E.

Compare :

They suggested the timetable be changed.(Am. E)

They suggested that the timetable should be changed.(Br.E)

There are five major types of discourse in prose texts: descriptive, expository, narrative, argumentative and prescriptive.

As their name indicates, descriptive texts do just that: they describe people, places, things, etc.

Expository texts :explain how things work, and why these things are what they are.

Narrative texts: tell the story of something or someone.

Argumentative texts :are texts which defend points of view.

Prescriptive texts :are texts which give instructions.

Note: There may be more than one type of discourse in the same text.