BRITISH AND AMERICAN DIFFERENCES-4 (REVISION)

Good morning.

For the next couple of days we will look at grammatical differences between US and UK English. We won't be able to cover all of these differences, so we will concentrate on what we feel to be the most interesting. Like the spelling differences, they are minimal and rarely cause miscommunication.

There are differences between some irregular verbs in the past simple in the two varieties..

Spelt (GB) vs. Spelled (US)
Learnt (GB) vs. Learned (US)
Leant (GB) vs. Leaned (US)

The past participle of get in US English is gotten or got, but in UK English it is got.

His tennis has gotten much better. (US)
His tennis has got much better. (UK)

I've gotten to know him over the years. (US)
I've got to know him over the years. (UK)

The present perfect and past simple are often used equally in US English where in UK English only the present perfect can be used.

US:
I'm not hungry. I've just had breakfast.
OR
I'm not hungry. I just had breakfast.

UK:
I'm not hungry. I've just had breakfast.

**********
US:
I've never seen this man in my life.
OR
I never saw this man in my life.

UK:
I've never seen this man in my life.

There are differences in the use of the verbs take, make and have.

US:
I'm going to take a shower.
OR
I'm going to have a shower.

UK:
I'm going to have a shower.

US:
We must make a decision before midnight.

UK:
We must take a decision before midnight.

Again, none of these differences cause miscommunication, but they are often surprising to native and non-native speakers who are used to hearing one dialect or the other.

If you have any questions about today's Daily Vitamin, please use the Daily Vitamin Plus! forum section on our website (www.ziggurat.es). Tomorrow we will send the Essential Weekly Vitamin, so we will continue with American and British differences on Monday.

I hope you have a wonderful day!