Sweet or candy ——The comparative study on British English and American English

Sweet or candy? The comparative study on British English and American EnglishMuch as the U.S.A and the U.K are originally English spoken countries, they dont speak the same kind of English. In general view, American English is more popular today while Britain English is more formal. So I really wonder that why there can be such difference between two countries have many things in common. As a result, I am going to work it out in the following parts of this essay.From WIKIPEDIA, we can know: “British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom and American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States.”Here are the common points of them. Both British English and American English are called Standard English when they are written in the newspapers and textbooks. Both of them are considered standard English and both of them are widely spoken al around the world. However, their differences are noticeable in the spoken forms.According to WIKIPEDIA, “American English and British English differ at the levels of phonology, phonetics, vocabulary, and, to a lesser extent, grammar and orthography.”1Firstly, lets come to the differences in grammar which are relatively minor, and normally do not affect mutual intelligibility. According to WIKIPEDIA, these differences contain: different use of some verbal auxiliaries; different agreement with collective nouns; different preferences for the past forms of some verbs (for instance, American English/British English: learned/learnt, burned/burnt, snuck/sneaked, dove/dived); different prepositions and adverbs in certain situation (for instance, American English in school, British English at school); and whether or not a definite article is used, in some infrequent cases (American English to the hospital, British English to hospital; however, American English actress Elizabeth Taylor, British English the actress Elizabeth Taylor). 2 Usually, these differences are a result of relative preferences rather than absolute rules. In other words, they most are not regular. The native speakers will understand both.Secondly, lets focus on the different orthography. Mostly, the spellings of words in American English are simpler than that in British English. Noah Webster, an educator in America, edited a dictionary called An American Dictionary of the English Language, which caused the spelling reform in America. “Webster was a strong proponent of English spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. Many spelling changes proposed in the United States by Webster himself, and in the early 20th century by the Simplified Spelling Board, never caught on.” 3 According my experience, I will show you some different words in American English and Britain English.American English Britain EnglishCandy sweetTire tyreGray greyTheater cinemaFall autumnBill noteDrape curtainElevator liftSecond floor first floor 4Besides these two major differences, there are still some differences in the pronunciation. There is a piece of joke suggesting it. One day, an American met a Britain and they were talking about their jobs. “Whats your job?” The American asked. “I am a clerk.” The British answered. “Clock? Your job is to tick tick all day long?” The American was so surprised on his answer. 5 Actually, the appearance of this mistake results from the different pronunciation of American English and British English. We can easily distinguish American and British from their accents. In our daily life, British English is often heard in some formal occasion, such as some meetings and news conference, while American English is more popular with most English learners. According to a linguist, British English, with its dynamic intonation and elegant sound, is difficult for Chinese to imitate. However, according to some linguists, American English is closer to Chinese intonation and hence easier for ordinary people. By the way, American pronunciation requires a lot of tongue-rolling, which will be a challenge for most of the learners. However, that is one of the most important reasons that why I like American English more. “Between America and Britain there is a great gulf fixed in the language.” Shavian said. In fact, the development and change of any language in the world is complicated process. It not only reflects the culture changes of one nation or country, but also is influenced by history, politics and economy. 5 British Englishs spoken forms vary considerably, which reflect a long history of dialect development. Dialects and accent are not the same not only in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but also within these individual countries. The development of spoken American English is a result of mass media and geographic and social mobility. 6To draw the conclusion, British English and American English derived from the same origin, but have different history and development, which cause their different. So, we cant tell which one of them is better. Its all up to you to choose which one to learn according to your preference and needs.Both candy and sweet are tasty!References:1, 2 http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_englishAmerica English3 http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differencesAmerican and British English spelling differences4 5 作者：佚名6 http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences#SourcesAmerican and British English differences