The Difference between British English and American English

<American? or British? Which do you like better?>

Since I was young, I have learned English as acardemic SUBJECT from my middle school to high school. Nowadays, because of Globalization and Westernization, many country has taught English to their students as second foreign language. They learned grammar, words, how to read, and how to communucate with others in English. And after graduation, I studied 'TOEIC' for my scholarship. When I studied that, I recognized that there are difference between British English and American English such as words and pronunciations. Before that, I didn't know there is British Englilsh because we learned American English in school. They both use English as their first language. Nevertheless, they have each difference to other.

What is difference? why do they have difference?

The U.K. has much longer history than America. The U.K has lived since prehistory age, while America has since 1601. So they may gap about history, also their vocabulary and pronunciation. This is one of a series of articles about the differences between British English and American English, which, for the purposes of these articles, are defined as follows-

British English is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom. American English is the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States. (from wikipeia)

<Video Clip : The difference between British English and American English>

Speakers of American English generally use the present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) far less than speakers of British English. In spoken American English it is very common to use the simple past tense as an alternative in situations where the present perfect would usually have been used in British English. The two situations where this is especially likely are.

(i) In sentences which talk about an action in the past that has an effect in the present:

American English / British English

• Jenny feels ill. She ate too much.
• Jenny feels ill. She's eaten too much.

• I can't find my keys. Did you see them anywhere?
• I can't find my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?

(ii) In sentences which contain the words already, just or yet:

American English / British English

• A: Are they going to the show tonight?
• B: No. They already saw it.
• A: Are they going to the show tonight?
• B: No. They've already seen it.
• A: Is Samantha here?
• B: No, she just left.
• A: Is Samantha here?
• B: No, she's just left.
• A: Can I borrow your book?
• B: No, I didn't read it yet.
• A: Can I borrow your book?
• B: No, I haven't read it yet.

1. Verb agreement with collective nouns

In British English collective nouns, (i.e. nouns referring to particular groups of people or things), (e.g. staff , government, class, team) can be followed by a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is thought of as one idea, or as many individuals.

In American English collective nouns are always followed by a singular verb, so an American would usually say:

"Which team is losing?"

whereas in British English both plural and singular forms of the verb are possible, as in:

"Which team is/are losing?"

2. Use of delexical verbs have and take

In British English, the verb have frequently functions as what is technically referred to as a delexical verb, i.e. it is used in contexts where it has very little meaning in itself but occurs with an object noun which describes an action, e.g.:

I'd like to have a bath.

Have is frequently used in this way with nouns referring to common activities such as washing or resting, e.g.:

She's having a little nap.

I'll just have a quick shower before we go out.
In American English, the verb take, rather than have, is used in these contexts, e.g.:

Joe's taking a shower.

I'd like to take a bath.

Let's take a short vacation.

Why don't you take a rest now?

3. Use of auxiliaries and modals

In British English, the auxiliary do is often used as a substitute for a verb when replying to a question, e.g.:

• A: Are you coming with us?
• B: I might do.

In American English, do is not used in this way, e.g.:

• A: Are you coming with us?
• B: I might.

In British English needn't is often used instead of don't need to, e.g.:

They needn't come to school today.

They don't need to come to school today.

In American English needn't is very unusual and the usual form is don't need to, i.e.:

They don't need to come to school today.

In British English, shall is sometimes used as an alternative to will to talk about the future, e.g.:

I shall/will be there later.

In American English, shall is unusual and will is normally used.
In British English shall I / we is often used to ask for advice or an opinion, e.g.:

Shall we ask him to come with us?

In American English should is often used instead of shall, i.e.:

Should we ask him to come with us?

4. Use of prepositions

In British English, at is used with many time expressions, e.g.:

at Christmas/five 'o' clock

at the weekend

In American English, on is always used when talking about the weekend, not at, e.g.:

Will they still be there on the weekend?

She'll be coming home on weekends.

In British English, at is often used when talking about universities or other institutions, e.g.:

She studied chemistry at university.

In American English, in is often used, e.g.:

She studied French in high school.

5. Past tense forms

Below is a table showing verbs which have different simple past and past participle forms in American and British English. Note that the irregular past forms burnt, dreamt and spoilt are possible in American English, but less common than the forms ending in -ed.

Infinitive	Simple past (Br)	Simple past (Am)	Past participle (Br)	Past participle (Am)
burn	burned/ burnt	burned/ burnt	burned/ burnt	burned/ burnt
bust	bust	busted	bust	busted
dive	dived	dove/ dived	dived	dived
dream	dreamed/ dreamt	dreamed/ dreamt	dreamed/ dreamt	dreamed/ dreamt
get	got	got	got	gotten
lean	leaned/ leant	leaned	leaned/ leant	leaned
learn	learned/ learnt	learned	learned/ learnt	learned
plead	pleaded	pleaded/ pled	pleaded	pleaded/ pled
prove	proved	proved	proved	proved/ proven
saw	sawed	sawed	sawn	sawn/ sawed
smell	smelled/ smelt	smelled	smelled/ smelt	smelled
spill	spilled/ spilt	spilled	spilled/ spilt	spilled
spoil	spoiled/ spoilt	spoiled/ spoilt	spoiled/ spoilt	spoiled/ spoilt
stink	stank	stank/ stunk	stunk	stunk
wake	woke	woke/ waked	woken	woken

Note that have got is possible in American English, but is used with the meaning 'have', gotten is the usual past participle of get, e.g.

American English	British English
You've got two brothers (= you have two brothers)	You've got two brothers
You've gotten taller this year	You've got taller this year

Reference
http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-reference/american-english-vs-british-english/differences-in-american-and-british-english-grammar-article/152820.article