According to Bernard Shaw, a playwright, the US and UK are two countries divided by a common language. Although exaggerated, this ironical statement holds truth. The difference in these languages creates a dilemma for blog writers. Depending on the audience your blog caters to, you may have to adopt either of these styles and, therefore, knowing the difference between the two is vital. So, reaching out to all blog writers in Mumbai, here are some of the prominent differences.
- Vocabulary
The US and UK use different words for equivalent everyday terms. For example, the British use words like bonnet, apartment, fries and vacation; whereas, the Americans refer to the same words as hood, flat, chips and holidays.
- Spelling
In American and British English, the standard way or writing words containing o/ou, er/re and z/s differs. British English take theou, re and s forms; while, American English take the o, er and z form of writing words. For example, UK English words like colour, behaviour theatre, metre, visualise and organisation are spelled as color, behaviour, theater, meter, visualize and organization in US English.
- Punctuation
The use of punctuations like periods and quotation marks also differ. In American English, titles like Mr. and Mrs. have periods, whereas, British English omits its usage. Similarly, in American English, double quotation marks (“) are used with the commas and periods inside the quotation marks; whereas, British English uses single quotes (‘) with the commas and periods outside the quotation marks.
- Grammar
- Prepositions
American usage of prepositions is different than British. For example, the Americans say ‘on Christmas/weekend’ while the British say ‘at Christmas/weekend.’
- Collective Nouns
In American English, collective nouns are singular. For example, staff or team refer to a group of people; thus, you would say, ‘The team is playing well tonight.’ However, in British English, collective nouns can be singular or plural. Therefore, you can say, ‘The team are/is playing well tonight.’
- Usage of Simple Past and Present Perfect Tense
The Americans use the simple past tense to refer to recent events; whereas, the British use the present perfect tense. For example, the Americans say ‘I ate’ or ‘I went’; whereas, the British say ‘I’ve eaten’ or ‘I’ve been.’
- Past Tense Verbs
The Americans use verbs in the past tense differently than the British. For example, US English words like ‘gotten and learned’ become ‘got and learnt’ in UK English.
- Idioms
Although the meaning remains the same, words in idioms are slightly altered. For example, British idioms like ‘a home from home’ and ‘take it with a pinch of salt’ are said as ‘a home away from home’ and ‘take it with a grain of salt’ in America.
Keeping these differences in mind will help you tackle your language woes. However, this is a mere tip of the iceberg. There’s more to the list. So, connect with us at Stylus Solutions—equipped with the best content writers in Mumbai, who know such (and more) differences at the back of their minds.