Activity 1.

Complete the table below illustrating the differences between British and American
English. In some cases, one of the variants is acceptable for both British and American
English, whereas the other is characteristic of British or American only.
British English American English
anaeshtesia anesthesia
axe ax
catalogue catalog
centre center
cheque cheek
colour color
defence defense
draughty draughty
encyclopedia encyclopedia
enquire inquire
globalisation globalization
gramme gram
humour humor
inflexion inflection
jewellery jewelry
licence license
manoeuvre maneuver
marvellous marvelous
pyjamas pajamas
sceptical skeptical
skilful skillful
titbit tidbit
tyre tire

Activity 2. Transcribe the following words according to the British and American
pronunciation standards.
British English American English
address /əˈdres/ /ˈæd.res/
advertisement /ədˈvɜː.tɪs.mənt/ /æd.vɝːˈtaɪz.mənt/
anti-discrimination /ænti-dɪsˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃən/ /ˈænti-dɪˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən/
ask /ɑːsk/ /æsk/
asthma /ˈæs.mə/ /ˈæz.mə/
ate /et/ /eɪt/ /et/ /eɪt/
ballet /ˈbæl.eɪ/ /bælˈeɪ/
bird /bɜːd/ /bɝːd/
cigarette /ˌsɪɡ.ərˈet/ /ˈsɪɡ.ə.ret/
debris /ˈdeb.riː/ /dəˈbriː/
erase /ɪˈreɪz/ /ɪˈreɪs/
hostile /ˈhɒs.taɪl/ /ˈhɑː.stəl/
last /lɑːst/ /læst/
leisure /ˈleʒ.ər/ /ˈliː.ʒɚ/
lever /ˈliː.vər/ /ˈlev.ɚ/
lieutenant /lefˈten.ənt /luːˈten.ənt/
 magazine /ˌmæɡ.əˈziːn/ /ˌmæɡ.əˈziːn/
missile /ˈmɪs.aɪl/ /ˈmɪs.əl/
mother /ˈmʌð.ər/ /ˈmʌð.ɚ/
nephew /ˈnef.juː/ /ˈnev.juː/ /ˈnef.juː/ /ˈnev.juː/
news /njuːz/ /nuːz/
princess /prɪnˈses/ /ˈprɪn.ses/ /prɪnˈses/ /ˈprɪn.ses/
progress /ˈprəʊ.ɡres/ /ˈprɑː.ɡres/
schedule /ˈʃedʒ.uːl/ /ˈskedʒ.uːl/
secretary /ˈsek.rə.tər.i/ /ˈsek.rə.ter.i/
territory /ˈter.ɪ.tər.i/ /ˈter.ə.tɔːr.i/
tissue /ˈtɪʃ.uː/ /ˈtɪs.juː/ /ˈtɪʃ.uː/ /ˈtɪs.juː/
tomato /təˈmɑː.təʊ/ /təˈmeɪ.t̬ oʊ/
tune /tjuːn, tʃuːn/ /tuːn/
vase /vɑːz/ /veɪs/
wrath /rɒθ/ /rɑːθ/

Activity 3. Supply the missing words denoting the same object in British or American English
respectively.
1. Mobile phone - cell phone
2. Tap - faucet
3. Cooker - stove
4. Rubbish - garbage can
5. Aubergine - eggplant
6. bonnet- hood (of a car)
7. Boot (of a car) - trunk
8. luggage - baggage
9. Aeroplane - Airplane
10. wagon- car (on a train)
11. Stone(built)
12. phone-in- call-in (program)
13. Windscreen - windshield
14. pram - baby carriage

Activity 4. What are the usage differences of the following words in British and American
English?
British English American English
bathroom private rooms primarily used The bathroom in a home is
for bathing; a room without a where the toilet and sink are
bathtub or shower is more located. In a public place, the
often known as a "WC", an most common term is
abbreviation for water closet, restroom, though bathroom,
"lavatory", or "loo" washroom, men's/women's
room, and occasionally
lavatory are also heard.
chips fried sticks of potato French fries (UK crisps)
class words like module or unit are a university class
used to describe a university
class
college a place where students over 18
are trained in a particular
subject or skill, earning a
qualification that is not usually
an academic degree
couple two persons married, engaged,
or otherwise romantically
paired. b : two persons paired
together The people were lined
up in couples. 2 : pair, brace
needed a couple of bookends.
3 : something that joins or
links two things together: such
as. a : two equal and opposite
forces that act along parallel
lines
doctor
federal the concept of constitutional
reform, where there is a
division of legislative powers
between two or more levels of
government, where
sovereignty is non-centralised
between a federal government
and autonomous governments
in a federal system
gas a liquid fuel used in cars
hire to pay money to the owner so
that you can use it for a period
of time
holiday a period of time that you are
allowed to spend away from
work or school
mean to intend to convey or express
program computer code
quite it does mean completely or
entirely, but it also means
fairly or rather
school a place where children go to be any place where people learn
educated
sick British English speakers would to explain the way they are
say 'ill' or 'unwell' feeling
a constituent part of a
university, but in popular
usage, the word "college" is
the generic term for any post-
secondary undergraduate
education
two people who are married or
in a romantic relationship. 2 :
two people or things paired
together Line up in couples.
something relating to a form of
government where states
recognize the power of a
central government while still
keeping certain state-level
governmental powers
gas is an abbreviation of
gasoline, the word Americans
use for petrol
to employ someone or pay him
or herto do a particular job
a day for celebrating or
remembering a special event,
especially one on which many
people are allowed not to go to
work or school
to have in mind; intend;
purpose
computer code
completely; entirely, really;
truly; positively
 smart in British English has a
meaning similar to such
adjectives as «elegant»,
«neat», «stylish»
state the political organization of an
area under an independent
government + the government
student someone who is studying at a
college or university. A child
in elementary school in the
U.K. is usually called a pupil
theatre a place where people watch
plays or other performances
time the continuous passage of
existence in which events pass
from a state of potentiality in
the future, through the present,
to a state of finality in the past
vest (waistcoat) an undergarment
worn on the upper part of the
body, typically having no
sleeves
a meaning synonymic to
«clever», «showing
intelligence»
the political organization of an
area under an independent
government
is anyone who is studying at
an elementary school,
secondary school, or college
a place where people watch
plays or other performances +
a place that shows movies
indefinite, unlimited duration
in which things are considered
as happening in the past,
present, or future; every
moment there has ever been or
ever will be
a piece of clothing with
buttons and no sleeves, which
a man wears over his shirt and
under his jacket

Activity 5. Explain the meanings of the idioms in the table. Suggest contexts in which they can
be used.
BrE idiom AmE idiom Meaning
to have kittens to have a cow to be very worried, upset, or angry about something.
to talk nineteen / ten speak rapidly and without stopping. He showed us
to talk a blue streak
to the dozen around the house while talking nineteen to the dozen.
not to say boo to a not tosayboo /to be to say nothing.
goose afraid to say boo You didn't say boo to me about going
to your mother's this weekend.
a boy or man who
blue-eyed boy fair-haired boy is liked very much and is treated well by someone,
especially som eone in authority.
to
to fight like cat and to fight like cats and have angry arguments all the time:
dog dogs As kids we used
to fight like cat and dog.
a situation in which you have to pay far too much money
for something:
daylight robbery highway robbery
£6 for an orange juice? That's
just daylight robbery!
sleeping partner silent partner a partner in
a company who does not take
 an active part in its mana gement, especially one who
provides some of the money
backhanded left-handed a remark that seems to say
compliment compliment something pleasant about
a person but could also be an insult
to look or feel very sick:
to look/feel like
to look/feel like He shouldn't
death warmed
death warmed up be working when he's so sick - he looks like death warmed
over
over!
used to say that someone looks very proud or satisfied about
like the cat that like the cat that
something he or she has doneAfter pointing out his teacher's
got the cream ate the canary
mistake, he smiled like the cat that ate the canary.
the situation is now
the boot is on the the shoe is on the
the opposite of what it was, especially because someone who
other foot other foot
was weak now has power
money in
hard cash cold cash the form of coins or notes
but not a cheque or a credit card
to say something
by accident that embarras ses or upsets someone:
to put your foot in to put your foot in
I really put my foot in my mouth – I asked her if Jane was her
it your mouth
mother, but she said Jane is
her sister.
to give somebody to give somebody
a new lease of life a new lease on life
to
be especially annoying, s urprising, etc. or to be the worst or
to take the biscuit to take the cake best of its ki nd:
My life is incredibly bori ng, but today took the biscuit:
absolutely nothin g happened.
having
fresh from fresh out of just finished or sold all of something:
something something We’re fresh out
of oranges, would you like an apple?
a
new place or activity that offers new opportunities:
pastures new new pastures Many scientists working for
the government have left for greener pastures in the private
sector.
something that makes a good situation even better :
I was
the icing on the the frosting on the
just content to see my da ughter in such
cake cake
a stable relationship but
a grandchild, that really was the icing on the cake.

Activity 6. Are these sentences more likely to be used by a British or an American speaker?1.
I’ve got to be on time or Sarah will go up the wall. (British)
2. People who drive like that really get up my nose .(British)
3. Just tell them you're a friend of mine and, Bob's your uncle, you'll get the job. (British)
4. To receive even the smallest amount of financial aid from a college, it's a real paper chase.
(British)
5. His new car goes like a bomb. (British)
6. "So, who do you like best, Jenny or Kim?" "Sorry, I take the Fifth on
that."(American)
7. Far too many are surviving just above the breadline.()
8. She got to our house at two, on the button.(American)
9. Cup final tickets are like gold dust.( British)
10. With prices so high, the major oil companies are coining it as never before. (British)
11. Despite weeks of media speculation, the president refused to tip his hand about his plans for
reelection. (American)
12. "You enjoyed yourself last night, didn't you?" "Not half!" (British)
13. They were going like gangbusters, and then all of a sudden everything
went wrong. (American)
14. Everyone suspected they were on the fiddle. (American)
15. The kids ran off every which way. (British\American)

Activity 7. Point out the grammatical features typical of the British or American variety of
English.
1. It’s a quarter of two. – American – British speakers use “to” in such a case.
2. It’s twenty to four. – British - American uses through in such situations.
3. I’ll meet you at a quarter past ten. – British - American uses ‘on’.
4. I’ll see you over the weekend. – American - British speakers use “at” or “over”.
5. Did you eat yet? – American - British speakers use the present perfect, especially with words such
as already and yet.
6. Did Sam just leave? Sam left already. – American - British speakers use the present perfect,
especially with words such as already and yet.
7. Three quarters of the workforce is against the strike. – American - in British English, although the
plural form is most often used (e.g. The band are playing).
8. The football team are rather weak this year. – British - In American English, collective nouns are
considered singular (e.g. The band is playing).
9. I shall be in the office till six thirty. – British - Americans favour the more informal ‘will’ or
‘should’.
10. They have gotten divorced. – American - British have long since dropped in favour of ‘got’.
11. They were real nice to us. – American
12. It’s much the best way to do it. – British – It is mentioned in the Longman Dictionary that this is
a phrase from BrE.
13. The restaurant caters all tastes. – British - in AmE (to cater for a 14. He works Monday through
Friday. – American – British Eglish
prefers to or till when referring to the end points of periods of time. 15. The team played good. –
American - British Eglish prefers well.

Activity 8. What are the past and past participle forms of the following verbs in British and
American English?

British English American English

to bust basted/bust bust
 to dive dived dived/dove - dived
to get got - got got - gotten
to kneel knelt or kneeled knelt or kneeled
to lean leaned or leant leaned
to leap leaped or leapt leaped or leapt
to misspell misspelled or misspelt misspelled
to plead pleaded pleaded or pled
to prove proved proved or proven
to smell smelled or smelt smelled
to spell spelled or spelt spelled
to spill spilled or spilt spilled
to spit spat spit
to spring sprang sprung

Activity 11. Do the sentences below follow the British or American standard?
1. It all cost twenty eight hundred dollars. - American
2. He was paid four hundred twenty five dollars for the job. - British
3. Last month, children accounted for 1412 of the 5299 people living in homeless helters in the
city. - British
4. Sales rose by nought point six seven per cent over the Christmas period. - British
5. The meeting was scheduled for November 15, 2020 (11/15/2020). - American
6. Her birthday is on 18th May 2015 (18/05/2010). - British
7. Work starts at 9am. - American
8. Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55B.C.E. - American
9. I don’t think we need any comments from Mr. Sarcasm here. - American
10. She's still waiting for Mr. Right to come along. - British
11. Zero point six percent of the population voted against the reform. - American
12. Trains depart from Rugby at half-hourly intervals until 4.00pm. - American
13. I got on a plane at18:15. - British
14. She weighs seven stone six. - British
15. She was a very slim kid, weighing no more than 20 pounds. - American
16. Answer question #4. - American
17. In 1905 Russell was living at No. 4 Ralston Street. - British