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

British English and American English

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)

Vocabulary

Am. E

Br.E

apartment flat
candy  sweets 
elevator  lift
freeway  motorway 
french fries chips
guy  chap
kids children
lavatories/restroom

toilets

pants 

trousers

 

truck

lorry

Spelling

Am.E

Br.E

Am.E

Br.E

favor

favour 

learned   

learnt 

labor

labour

burned 

burnt

neighbor

neighbour

traveled  travelled

memorize

memorise

taveling  travelling 

analyze 

analyse canceled  cancelled 

organize 

organise canceling  cancelling 

defense

defence jewelry  jewellery 

center 

centre  plow  plough 

fiber 

fibre  thru through

liter

litre catalog catalogue

types of discourse:

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.