| A. English is widely used in China. B. It can also happen to other languages, such as French. C. For example, the vocabulary for cars and driving is very different. D. They say "Have you a storybook?" E. English in these two counties is different only in sound. F. Many expressions are also different in the two countries. |
American and British people both speak English of course. But sometimes it does not seem like the same language. In fact, there are some important differences between British English and American English.
Often, Americans don't say each word separately. They say several words together. Americans may say "I dunno" instead of "I don't know". Or they may say "Whaddya say?" instead of "What did you say?" However, the British are more careful in their speech. They usually say all the words and keep them separate.
Sound is not only the difference between British English and American English. Words sometimes have different meanings too. Americans drive trucks, but in England people drive lorries.
In England, if you are going to telephone your friends, you "phone them up". In America, you "give them a call".
There are also some differences in grammar. For example, Americans usually use the helping verb "do" when they ask a question. They say "Do you have a storybook?" But the British often leave out the helping verb.
Most languages are like this. Languages change over time. When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways. This is what has happened to English. Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France.
