World Englishes
Grammar Nuances (C1)
British
VS
American
⏳ Tense with "Just/Already"
🇬🇧
I have just eaten.
Present Perfect is required for recent actions.
🇺🇸
I just ate.
Past Simple is very common and accepted.
👥 Collective Nouns (Team, Staff)
🇬🇧
The team are winning.
Often treated as Plural (the people in it).
🇺🇸
The team is winning.
Almost always Singular (the unit).
📍 Prepositions of Time
🇬🇧
At the weekend.
Common British usage.
🇺🇸
On the weekend.
Standard American usage.
The Meeting 🤝
British vs American Colleagues
James (UK) 🇬🇧
Hello. Have you got the report I sent?
Sarah (US) 🇺🇸
Hi James. Yes, I just got it.
James (UK) 🇬🇧
Good. My team are worried about the deadline.
Sarah (US) 🇺🇸
Don't worry. We can finish it on the weekend.
ℹ️ Note:
Both speakers understand each other perfectly. These are differences, not errors!
Identify the Style 🕵️
Is it UK 🇬🇧 or US 🇺🇸?
"I have already eaten."
"The government is cutting taxes."
"What are you doing at the weekend?"
Translation Task 📝
Translate US to UK style!
Rewrite as British:
-
🇺🇸: I just saw him.
🇬🇧: I have just seen him. -
🇺🇸: My family is happy.
🇬🇧: My family _______ happy. -
🇺🇸: See you on the weekend.
🇬🇧: See you _______ weekend.