Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Would you please correct these sentences for me?

1) Some people hope that an increase in the number of policemen on the streets will aim at / will lead to (?) a decline in the crime rate.

2) I was so worried that I should be / would be (?) missing / so worried to miss telephone calls that I had a private line and a business line installed in my office, as well as answerphones on both lines !

3) She is French by birth, but she is married to an Israeli and (has?) taken Israeli nationality.


Thank you in advance.
Hela

[bud]

Hi Hela,

1. will lead to

2. First, you want "would," but not "should." Then, either approach is fine:

I was so worried that I would be missing...
I was so worried to miss...

or even... I was so worried about missing... (not any better, just a 3rd way)

note: "answering machines" instead of "answerphones" (unless the Brits say answerphones)

3. Yes, you need "has."

Her nationality is French, and that will always be her nationality. She cannot change it. She has taken Israeli citizenship, or she has become an Israeli citizen... or she has taken dual citizenship in Israel (also keeping her French citizenship).

Hope that helps.

[hela]

Thank you Bud for your explanations.

All the best,
Hela

[bud]

My pleasure, Hela.

[helen1]

Hi Bud/Hela,

Yes we Brits do use answerphones...... we're awkward that way,

we also use mobiles instead of cellulars/cellphones
lifts instead of elevators and
have a bonnet and trunk in our cars instead of hood and trunk

amongst many many others.....


Helen

[bud]

I've heard of many minor differences in our English, but never that one. Still, it seemed plausible. That's why I threw the caveat in there.

Thanks, Helen.

[hela]

Hi Helen and Bud,

Thank you for your answers. It's quite interesting to see the differences in vocabulary and idioms between british english and american english, because we, foreigners, don't always know which is which. So it would be very nice of you to send us sometimes some words and expressions that, though different, mean exactly the same.

What about "headsets" and "headphones" are they the same?

Best wishes,
Hela

[bud]

In the US they are different. Headphones only have listening capacity, and they are for listening to entertainment devices. Headsets are for listening and speaking, and are used for communiction devices. For example, workers at a helpline use headsets for their phones so their hands are free to operate a computer.

[helen1]

Well there's something we do have in common we use headsets and headphones in the same way.

OK then let's stick with the office -

we use laptops not notebooks,
water fountain not water cooler

I'm I correct Bud in the US versions?

Can't think of any more at the moment, but will be back when I do.

Oh yes one more we postpone a meeting, we don't take a raincheck (although that is now being heard more often)

[hela]

Thanks again Helen and Bud!
That's very interesting. If you happen to think of other examples please share them with us. If I find other differences, I'll get in touch.

All the best.

[bud]

Well, not exactly, Helen. We use all four words.

laptop/notebook - My guess is that laptop is used more than notebook. I vaguely recall several years ago that manufacturors made a distcinction between the two - one being the kid brother of the other. But I don't think it ever stuck with the general public and we use them as synonyms.

We use both water cooler and water fountain, but they are not the same thing. A water fountain is connected to plumbing, and is usually found in a public area such as the hallway of a building or in a park. A water cooler is a stand-alone appliance, and you buy bottled water from a distributor for it. They are found in private areas, such as an office or a home... So you say water fountain for the appliance? For both?

What about the device you keep in the trunk (under the bonnet?) of a car in case you get a flat tire (tyre?)? You use it to raise the car so you can remove the bad tire and put on a good one. We call it a jack. I know the Aussies call it something very different, but I can't remember what it is. What do you call it?

This is fun!

[hela]

Hi Helen and Bud,

Here are some more differences to add to the list:

British English / American English

1- sweets / candy
2- lorry / truck
3- chips / fries
4- rubber / eraser
5- autumn / fall
6- biscuits / cookies
7- petrol station / gas station
8- cinema / movie theater
9- handbag / purse
10- shop / store

Have yo got any more?

All the best,
Hela

[helen1]

Hi Bud,

OK laptop seems to be the one we all prefer
Water fountain/cooler - as far as I'm aware we don't distinguish we call them all water fountains - any other British English people want to comment on that one?

We too carry a jack for fixing a flat tyre, - it's kept in the boot while the engine is under the bonnet.

Hela,
Good selection, here's some more

American English/British English
1) fawcet/tap
2) biscuit/scone
3) potato chips/crisps
4) freeway/motorway - Bud I'm not sure of this one we have motorways for big roads with high speed limits and dual carriageways for smaller roads with lower speed limits -
5) pharmacist/chemist
6) drug store - now again I get confused is this a general grocer shop or is it a chemist shop?
7) Soccer/football - American football is a completely different game - more like Rugby I think??
Resume/CV
wallet/purse - in British English a wallet is only used by a man

That's it for now....

Helen

[bud]

Nice!

Hela's list:

1. We use both, but candy is more common. In the US, sweets include cakes, cookies, any kind of dessert.

5. We use both, but fall is more common.

6. We use both, but they are not the same. Cookies are sweets. Biscuits aren't sweet, and are more likely to be part of dinner rather than dessert.

8. We use both, but cinema is much less common.

9. Hmm, that's a tough one beacuse I'm never sure what they're called these days. I think purse was overtaken by handbag many years ago. Today I think it is most common to just say bag.

10. We use both. I think a store is more likely to be called a shop if it is in a shopping mall.


Helen's list:

1. We use boh, but faucet is much more common.

2. I love scones! A scone has a texture similar to what we call biscuits, but biscuits and not sweet like scones are.

4. We have a lot of words for highways. Probably freeway is most common for motorway, but they are also called interstates if they are part of a federal system of highways. A few of these have tolls, and then toll road, interstate, turnpike or thruway are possible - depends only on personal preference. When referring to a specific highway, it is also common to say Route 80, or whatever.

Parkway is possible for an older limited-access highway, where maybe the speed limit is slightly lower because the lanes are not quite as wide.

All of the above are limited-access, divided highways. They can all be called divided highways. But we also have divided highways that are not limited-access. These have significantly lower speed limits than interstates, and are often lined with malls and stand-alone stores (not shops, in this case). These we are most likely to refer to as divided highways... Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? I'm not sure which is more like a dual carriageway - parkway or divided highway.

6. Well, things change so much as time goes on. Today, almost all drug stores are part of nationwide chains. They have pharmaciies in them, but they also sell greeting cards, office supplies, snacks (sweets), cigarettes, lottery tickets, and personal care products (nail polish, shampoo, etc.)

7. Yes, I think American football is somewhat like Rugby.

We somtimes use CV, but resume is much more common.

In the US, a man uses only a wallet, but a woman will have a wallet in her bag.

Very good, you two. I'm afraind I only have one to add at the moment:
bathroom/restroom (AE) vs. loo (BE)

But, Helen, I have been listening to BBC a lot in the last year or so because mainstream Radio/TV news in the US is so pathetic. I've noticed that occassionally words of 3 or more syllables are stressed differently than in the US. I can't remember any specific examples, but I will keep an ear *beep* for one. Do you know anything about this?

All the best,
Bud

[helen1]

Hi again

Bud -
1) thanks for the spelling correction on faucet

2) Scones - I too love them but in England they can be sweet or savoury - plain or cheese are the most common savoury flavours but there are others
3) Wow - what a complex road naming system - I guess dual carriageways can be either parkways or divided highways as some are shoplined while others are not - they are divided and all have speed limits less than motorways but higher than 'normal' roads/streets.
6) Great combination for your drug stores the closest here would be 'Boots' which started out as a chemist chain but has branched out into personal care products, photography, cosmetics, and certain electrical appliances.... they also sell sandwiches etc (I guess that started in shops placed in 'working districts'

7) We use loo in informal situations - toilet, ladies(room)/gents, is common in less formal situations... however we also use rest room/bathroom, little girls/boys room, and a few others.....

Re: syllable stress - I must admit I haven't noticed anything but then I'm so used to US TV programmes and films being screened here and I do tend to listen to British radio - examples may give more of a clue.

Take care