British English vs American English

The British and the Americans both speak English but they don't always use the same words.

Activity 1 Match these American words with the pictures.

a trunk / an eraser / a hood / an egg-plant / a movie theatre / cotton candy / subway

a can / a truck / restrooms / a trash can / an elevator / trash / French fries

British English American English

British English American English

chips an aubergine

a rubber a bin

a lorry rubbish

a cinema the boot

a tin the bonnet

public toilets candy floss

underground a lift

Activity 2 Match the British words with the American words. Mind the odd-one-out !

GB US

pudding

flat

post

torch

car park

postman

mail

store

mailman

parking lot

flashlight

dessert

apartment

Activity 3 Is the word English or American ? Tick the correct flag.

Mom petrol

Mum gas

cookies fizzy drink

biscuits soda

mobile phone pajamas

cellphone pyjamas

police car post code

patrol car zip code

mustache crisps

moustache potato chips

Activity 4 Paraphrase the British sentences using the American words below.

the faucet / movie / suspenders / after /candies / bathroom / do the dishes / Fall / kids

the check / sneakers / the highway / vacation / the sidewalk / line / the shopping mall

It is the best film I have ever seen.

______________________________________________________

On October 31st, it's Halloween. Children get a lot of sweets when they say "trick or treat".

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I have drunk so much water, I really need to go to the toilet.

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There are lots of lorries on the motorway today.

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There is a long queue of people waiting at the bus stop.

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White trainers are fashionable this summer.

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It's ten past two. __________________________________________

My grandfather used to wear striped braces to keep his baggy trousers up.

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I am on holiday for a week and I will return to work next Monday.

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I'm going to the shopping centre, do you want to come with me ?

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You mustn't ride your bike on the pavement !

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I do the washing-up every day after dinner.

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Waiter ! Could you please bring me the bill ?

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Autumn is my favourite season.

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Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth.

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Activity 5 British words can sometimes be really different from American words.

Read these American words. What do they mean in GB ? What do they mean in the US ? Write GB or US next to the correct picture. Look at the example first.

the first floor

to wash up a lavatory

chips pants

football a vest

jelly a purse

British and American English 2 WORKSHEET A

Exercise 1

How many differences between British and American English can you find from reading these two short texts?

Mark (Hampshire, England) ‘I’m going to rake up the leaves in the garden, then get a DVD for tonight from the shop on the High Street, unless you’d rather go to the cinema. There’s no point cleaning the house now because Simon’s got his mates coming round to watch the football, and the last time they came they left crisps all over the carpet!’

Mark (New Hampshire, United States) ‘My buddy Jim must be one of the most accident-prone people in the world. Last year he went to hospital four times – first he broke his toe playing soccer, then he tripped over and broke his wrist when he was walking out of a store on Main Street, then he burnt himself at a barbecue here in our yard, then he somehow got a potato chip stuck in his throat at the movie theatre!’

Exercise 2

Fill in the gaps to complete the table of British English words and their American equivalents.

BRITISH AMERICAN BRITISH AMERICAN

1. biscuit c _ _ kie 11. torch flashl _ _ _ _

2. l _ rry truck 12. p _ yrise raise

3. puncture f _ _ t 13. curtains dr _ pe _

4. rubbish bin t _ _ _ h can 14. note (money) _ ill

5. ground floor f _ _ _ _ floor 15. bill (e.g. in arestaurant) ch _ _ k

6. c _ retaker janitor 16. boot (of a car) tr _ nk

7. t _ n can 17. cook _ _ stove

8. zip zipp _ _ 18. return (ticket) r _ _ nd trip

9. windscr _ _ n windshield 19. single (ticket) o _ e-w _ y

10. underground(train system) subw _ _ 20. p _ _ tbox mailbox

British and American English 2 WORKSHEET B

Exercise 3

Look each of the sentences below and decide whether they are written in British English (B), American English (A), or if they would be the same in both types of English (AB).

Then change the British English sentences into American English, and the American English sentences into British English.

1. Did you get a single or a return?

2. It’s a really busy, noisy road – there are trucks going past all the time.

3. She lives on the first floor, so you won’t have to go up any stairs.

4. Shall I just put this stuff in the trash can?

5. I got a puncture when I was cycling to work yesterday.

6. My dad works as a janitor at the local school.

7. I went to the shop to buy five tins of peaches and some biscuits.

8. It’s one of the biggest cities in Europe.

9. Excuse me, could we have the check please?

10. Yes, thank you, the meal was excellent.

11. It’s dark out there, so take a torch.

12. I’m going to have to clean this windshield – I can hardly see out of it. If you couldjust bring me some water, I’ll use the cloth I’ve got in the trunk.

13. That bag looks far too heavy for you to carry.

14. I need to get this bag repaired because the zip’s broken.

15. It’s about twenty minutes on the subway.

16. I’d like a new cooker, but we can’t really afford it.

17. I hate my job – my boss is an idiot and I haven’t had a raise for four years.

18. Their new carpet’s a weird colour and it doesn’t match the drapes at all.

19. I’m sure I had a twenty-dollar bill in this pocket, so where is it now?

20. Honey, can you go and put this in the mailbox for me?

BBRRIITTIISSHH//AAMMEERRIICCAANN EENNGGLLIISSHH PPIICCTTIIOONNAARRYY

BR.railway BR.car park BR.biscuits BR.dustbin BR.holiday

AM.railroad AM.parking lot AM.cookies AM.garbage can AM.vacation

BR.lift BR.maize BR.block of flats BR.lorry BR.mad

AM.elevator AM.corn AM.apartment building AM.truck AM.crazy

BR.motorbike BR.chips BR.caravan BR.main road BR.dustman

AM.motorcycle AM.fries AM.trailer AM.highway AM.garbage collector

BR.crisps BR.nappy BR.driving licence BR.pavement BR.petrol

AM.potato chips AM.diaper AM.driver's licence AM.sidewalk AM.gasoline

BR.post BR.rubbish BR.public toilet BR.rubber BR.postbox

AM.mail AM.garbage AM.rest room AM.eraser AM.mailbox

BR.postman BR.solicitor BR.pub BR.sweets BR.tin

AM.mailman AM.lawyer AM.bar AM.candy AM.can

BRITISH/AMERICAN ENGLISH PICTIONARY

BR.railway BR.car park BR.biscuits BR.dustbin BR.holiday

AM.railroad AM.parking lot AM.cookies AM.garbage can AM.vacation

BR.lift BR.maize BR.block of flats BR.lorry BR.mad

AM.elevator AM.corn AM.apartment building AM.truck AM.crazy

BR.motorbike BR.chips BR.caravan BR.main road BR.dustman

AM.motorcycle AM.fries AM.trailer AM.highway AM.garbage collector

BR.crisps BR.nappy BR.driving licence BR.pavement BR.petrol

AM.potato chips AM.diaper AM.driver's licence AM.sidewalk AM.gasoline

BR.post BR.rubbish BR.public toilet BR.rubber BR.postbox

AM.mail AM.garbage AM.rest room AM.eraser AM.mailbox

BR.postman BR.solicitor BR.pub BR.sweets BR.tin

AM.mailman AM.lawyer AM.bar AM.candy AM.can