Exchanging English Over the Pond: U.S. and U.K. Part III
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We hope you're enjoying our exploration of U.S. and U.K. English as much as we are. Part I and Part II of our series looked at variations in spelling and word choice between the dialects. Our review continues with a closer look at American and Commonwealth grammar.
Prepositions
Different phrasing involving prepositions between U.S. and U.K. English may not be as pronounced as it once was, particularly as the cultures continue to influence each other. However, when listening to one another from each side of the pond, we might still hear expressions such as:
| U.S. |
U.K. |
| Are you going to the mall on the weekend? |
Are you going to the mall at the weekend? |
| Greg must go to the hospital. |
Greg must go to hospital. |
| Greg is in the hospital. |
Greg is in hospital. |
| We'll be open Monday through Friday. |
We'll be open Monday to Friday. |
| She is different from/than the others. |
She is different from/to the others. |
| Henry gets along* well with Henrietta. |
Henry gets on* well with Henrietta. |
| *In this usage, the preposition is included with the main verb to form a verb phrase; as such, it is a verb particle. |
In addition, as we identify in Part I, the U.K. uses the preposition towards where the U.S. often drops the s (toward).
We might also hear similarities between phrases that include a preposition, such as how we refer to our time for rest and relaxation: This summer we are going on vacation (U.S.); This summer we are going on holiday (U.K).
Verb Number
U.S. and U.K. English can differ in whether they use a singular or a plural verb with a collective noun. In Commonwealth English, collective nouns might take a singular verb in some cases, but most will accompany a plural verb to emphasize the members of the collective. Conversely, U.S. English will more often pair such nouns with singular verbs to stress a single entity.
U.K.: The committee are discussing the proposal.
U.S.: The committee is discussing the proposal.
U.K.: The blue team are winning.
U.S.: The blue team is winning.
U.K.: The rock band are on tour.
U.S.: The rock band is on tour.
Dates
10 June 2020: Most of us who are stateside have seen the format before and probably been thrown off by it at least once. The U.K. presents dates as day month year without punctuation, where the U.S. presents them as month day, year (with punctuation).
The U.K.'s date format is the same as that used throughout much of Europe. Some European countries also use year month day without punctuation (2020 June 10).
In Part IV, we'll conclude our current series on U.S. and U.K. English with a further discussion of grammar.
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Wordplay
Q: What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a unicycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?
A: Attire.
Q: What did the buffalo dad say to his son as he left?
A: Bison.
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