Module1BritishandAmericanEnglishAquestionfromBrittneyintheUnitedStatesofAmerica:IamanAmericancollegestudentwhoisplanningtoapplyforworkintheUnitedKingdomafterIgraduate,andIwaswonderinghowbigthelanguagebarrierwouldbe
AlexGoochanswers:HiBrittney
You'reright
TherearemanywellknowndifferencesbetweenBritishandAmericanEnglish,butthesedifferenceswon'tcauseyouanyseriousproblemsifyoucomeandworkinBritain
First,thereareafewnoticeableGRAMMARdifferencesbetweenBritishandAmericanEnglish:I'lltalkaboutthetwomostimportantones
Firstofall,whenAmericansmakesentencesusing“just”,“already”or“yet”,theynormallyusethepastsimpletense,whileinBritain,weusethepresentperfect
SoanAmerican,forexample,mightsay,“Ialreadyhadlunch
”AndaBritishpersonwouldsay,“I'vealreadyhadlunch
”Therearelotsofexamplesofslightdifferenceofspellin