Ch 32 · Lesson 21English · Chapter 32 · Lesson 21 · Grammar primer
Shall, needn't and colour: small differences
Shall I...? and needn't are more British, me either more American. Colour and centre are British spellings, color and center American. Use one variety per text.
The short version
Colour in Britain, color in America
.
Why?Hide
British spelling keeps -our, -re and a double l: colour, centre, travelled. American spelling writes color, center, traveled. Both are correct. Choose one for a whole essay or email: my favourite color mixes the two.
Shall, needn't and other small differences
These are on other pages. Here they are side by side. The right column is what you hear more in America; many left-column forms are heard there too.
| Job | British | American |
|---|---|---|
? | ? | |
. | . | |
. | . | |
. | . | |
. | . | |
. | . |
Notes on the table:
- Can't have and me neither are used everywhere. American English also has must not have and me either.
- Both varieties say learned. Learnt is the extra British form.
- I suggest he go is also formal British. More in the subjunctive, past modals and both, either and neither.
Spelling: colour and color
The famous differences are in spelling. The words and the grammar stay the same:
| Pattern | British | American |
|---|---|---|
| / | | color |
| re / | | center |
| ll / l | | traveled |
| ise / ize | | |
Some British writers use -ize too: apologize is correct in Britain. But colour, centre and travelled are clearly British, and color, center and traveled clearly American.
Which one should you use?
- . Films, songs and the internet are full of each.
- . In one essay or email, keep to one variety. My favourite color mixes British favourite with American color.
- . Gotten and the team are are both correct English.
Common mistakes
These are wrong in British AND American English:
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have got...? | Have you got a pen? / Do you have a pen? | . |
| The police is here. | The police are here. | plural verb. |
| I've seen it last week. | I saw it last week. | : . |
| different of that | different from that | , : . |
Going further: Have got or have and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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9-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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