Key Grammar Differences Between American and British English

There are five basic “versions” of English: American, British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand.

But in this article, we’ll look at basic differences in grammar between American and British English.

Exploring the subtle differences between these two versions of English is crucial. Not only will it broaden your perspective, but it will also enhance your understanding of the language itself.

The First Difference: The Use of Collective Nouns

In American English, collective nouns typically take singular verbs, while British English offers more flexibility, allowing these nouns to be used with either singular or plural verbs. This choice depends on whether the speaker is referring to the group as a single entity or emphasizing the individuals within it.

For example:

•         The team is playing today. – American English
•         Tom’s family is/are coming to visit. – British English

Differences in Forming the Past Tense

When it comes to past tense verbs, they can be written in two ways in British English.

For example: learned – learnt, burned – burnt, dreamed – dreamt, etc. True, they don’t say smelt or leapt, only smelled and leaped.

In American English, the –ed ending is typically used for the past tense of verbs. While words like “dream” and “smell” can take the forms “dreamt” and “smelt,” it’s important to note that the –ed endings “dreamed” and “smelled” are also widely accepted.

Use of the Past Participle

In American English, the past participle of “get” can take two forms: “got” and “gotten.” While both are acceptable, “gotten” is commonly used in the U.S., whereas British English strictly prefers “got” as the correct form.

For example:

•         I’ve gotten a headache. – American English (talking about past events in general)
•         I’ve had a headache. – British English

When Speaking About Dates

There is also a small difference in this area, which we may have never thought about.

•         British say: My birthday is the 9th of September.
•         Americans say: My birthday is September 9th.

In other words, Americans usually don’t use the article in this case, while British use the form article + of.

Speaking About Events in the Past Tense

When discussing past events, British English typically employs the past perfect tense, emphasizing the sequence of actions. In contrast, American English often opts for a more straightforward approach, using the simple past tense combined with words like “already,” “just,” or “yet” for clarity and ease.

For example:

•         I just saw her. vs. I have just seen her.
•         He already finished doing his homework. vs. He has already finished his homework.
•         Did she leave yet? vs. Has she left yet?

Use of the word Got

In American English (when speaking informally), this word is used to express:

•         Necessity (present simple)
•         Possession

For example:

•         I got to go. = I gotta go.
•         I got a new car.

In British English, the word “got” conveys a sense of necessity or possession, but it is specifically used in the present perfect tense.

For example:

•         I’ve got to go.
•         I’ve got a new car.

The Formation of Complex (Compound) Nouns in American and British English

This is the last thing I’d like to discuss today.

It’s very simple. In America, people use the following construction to form complex nouns: verb + noun.

For example: jump rope, dive board.

In the United Kingdom, there is another form: gerund (verb + ing) + noun.

For example: skipping rope, diving board.

If this subject is interesting to you, read the article American and British English: Differences in Vocabulary.

It seems that’s all.

See you soon!

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