英、美英语使用差别(词汇学角度)ppt课件.ppt

1. Morphology In American English, a number of irregular verbs have become regularised, while remaining irregular in British English:,a) In many instances, it is only the voicing of the past tense morpheme -(e)d which has been changed to regularise the verb:,British English American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle burn burnt burned dwell dwelt dwelled learn learnt learned smell smelt smelled spell spelt spelled spill spilt spilled spoil spoilt spoiled,b) In some irregular British English verbs, there is a vowel change from /i/ in the present to /e/ in the past participle forms. The American,English forms retain the present tense vowel in the following cases, as well as voicing the ending.,British English American English Present Past or Past or Past Participle Past Participle,dream dreamt /dremt/ dreamed/drimd/ kneel knelt /nelt/ kneeled/ni:ld/ lean leant/lent/ leaned/li:nd/ leap leapt/lept/ leaped/li:pt/,c) The past participle gotten is not used in British English. In American English, it was formerly restricted to being used in the sense of obtain or acquire: Ive gotten a new car since I last saw you.,Now , however, gotten can be used in all meanings except for have in American English: We have gotten home late again.,They have gotten me into trouble again. We had already gotten off the train when it was hit.,I have got plenty to eat. I have got the idea now. ( understand ),2. Derivational,Two verb-forming affixes which are somewhat more productive In American English than British English are: -ify: citify, humidify, uglify -ize: burglarize, decimalize, hospitalize, rubberize, slenderize,b) Another way of forming new words is by simply changing a words grammatical class. Again, there is more of a tendency to form new words,in this way in American English than in British English,e.g:,Noun Verb an author to author a host to host,a sky rocket to sky-rocket pressure to pressure (B.E. to pressurize),a room to room ( I room at the house. ),3. Auxiliaries a) must The negative of epistemic must is cant in Southern British English ( In the north-west of England, mustnt is used rather Ethan cant ): He must be in -his TV is on. He cant be in-his car is gone.,In American English, the most common negative of epistemic must is must not . Note that, unlike north-west British English, In American English this cant be contracted to mustnt without changing the meaning of the auxiliary to not be allowed : He must not be in-his car is gone. ( epistemic ) You mustnt be in when we arrive. ( not allowed ),However, mustnt can be epistemic in the past perfect: He mustnt have been in. ( Even in such cases, the uncontracted form is preferred in American English.),b) used to: In questioning or negating sentences with the modal used to , British English can treat used to either as an auxiliary, in which case it inverts in questions and receives negation, or as a lexical verb requiring do for these constructions:,He used to go there. ( auxiliary ) Used he to go there? ( lexical verb ) Did he use to go there ? ( auxiliary ) He didnt use to go there. ( lexical verb ) In American English, used to is treated only as a lexical verb in these constructions, and this is also becoming increasingly the case in British English.,Context Do-substitution Deletion British only both American and British.Did he pass his exam? Yes, he did do. Yes, he did.Have you cleaned the room? Yes, I have done. Yes, I have.I havent read this yet. But I will do. But I will.I havent bought one. But I may do. But I mayCouldnt you do that later? Yes, we could do. Yes, we could.,4. Verb Phrases1) In British English, the copular verbs seem, act, look and sound can be followed directly by an indefinite noun phrase. In American English, these verbs must be followed first by the preposition like ; seem can also be followed by the infinitive to be :,British American/BritishIt seemed a long time. It seemed like a long time.He seems an intelligentman. He seems to be an intelligent man.John acted a real fool. John acted like a real fool.,British American/BritishThat sounds a bad That sounds like a bad idea. idea. That house looks a That house looks like anice one. nice one.,2) like ” British/American American,Wed like you to do this now.,Wed like for youto do this now.,3) The verb want can be followed directly by the adverbs in and out in American English. In British English, want must be followed first by an infinitive: British American I wanted to come in. I wanted to be let in. I wanted in. The dog wants to go out. The dog wants out.,Also want can be used in the sense of need in British English with an inanimate subject: The house wants painting. This is not possible in American English.,4) The verb decide can be used as a causative verb in British English:Non-Causative: He decided to go because of that.Causative: That decided him to go.,In American English, decide cant be used as a causative; instead, a periphrastic phrase must be used, such as: That made him decide to go.,“Buy” and “sell”in American English mean respectively “accept” and “cause sb. to accept”:,He would not buy that idea.He is trying to sell us on linguistics.,Doubt作为动词用在肯定句中后面通常接whether或if，而在否定句中则接that,这是英国英语的用法。在美国一般用that.I doubt that.,Aim后面跟at是英国用法，如：He aimed at becoming a scientist.而在美国则用aim to，如：He aimed to become a doctor.,Raise一词在英国17、18世纪可作“grow”, “breed”, “rear”解释，后在英国此用法被淘汰，而在美国此词仍然保持原来三种意义，如：In England, one grow farm or garden products, breed animals, and rears children. In America, one raises them all.,Mainstream: Originally it means a prevailing current or direction of action or influence.Now in American English, it means “to put the students of mixed ability in one class.”,Some educators warn that markedly handicapped children can profit more from segregated or individual education than from being mainstreamed into classrooms with other youngsters.,Loan: These are the books loaned to children for home use.(American English),Swing: to follow the fashion; to be lively and up-to-date.This magazine has got to swing, like other magazines swing (American English),Stag: Originally, it meant “ a social gathering of men only” in American English, for example:a stag dinner, a stag dancea stag party,Now, “stag” can be used as a verb, meaning “to attend a mixed party unaccompanied by a girl.”to stag it.,5) There are a few verbs in British English and American English which differ in the prepositions or prepositional adverbs they collocate with:,British Americanto battle with/against to battle to check up on to check out to fill in to fill out to meet to meet withto prevent sth. to prevent from becomingto protest at/against/over to protestto stop someone doing to stop from to visit to visit with,美国英语倾向于在有些动词后面加上副词或介词，以短语动词代替单根动词，如：American Britishdrown out drownsound out soundlose out loserest up rest,American Britishmiss out on misspay off paytry out trystart up start,American Britishconsult with consultvisit with visitmeet with meet,He missed out on a chance to take the exam.It will pay off to revisit with the city.Alfred sounded out（试探以了解其意图；探听某人口气） his boss about a day off from his job.,Noun PhrasesCount versus Mass Nounsa) lettuce has characteristics of both a count and mass noun in British English, but it is only a mass noun in many varieties of American English.,British American (mass only)Mass: I like lettuce. I like lettuce.Count: a lettuce a head of lettuce two lettuces two heads of lettuce,b) sport is a count noun in both varieties but it can also be used as an abstract mass noun in British English:Count: Football is a sport I like. (British )Football is a sport I like. (American)Mass: John is good at sport. (British) John is good at sports. (American),Articlesa) When referring to events in the past, British English does not require the definite article before the phrase next day . This construction is more usual in written British English:,British:Next day, the rains began. I saw him next day.American/British:The next day, the rains began.I saw him the next day.,b) British English does not use the definite article in the phrase in future in the meaning from now on , while American does:British: In future, Id like you to pay more attention to detail.American: In the future, Id like you to pay more attention to detail.both: In the future, all houses will be heated by solar energy.,c) half British American half an hour a half hour or half an hourhalf a dozen eggs a half dozen or half a dozenhalf a pound of a half pound carrots or half a pound,Prepositions British American behind in back of out of out,Differences in preposition used:a) in phrases for duration of time, British English uses for where American English uses for or in: British/American I havent seen him for weeks. I havent seen him for ages. American OnlyI havent seen him in weeks.I havent seen him in ages.,b) British speakers use the preposition at for time when, with holiday seasons, as in : British American at the weekend over the weekend at Christmas over Christmas on the weekend,c) In expressing clock-time, British English uses the prep. to and past the hour while American English can also use of, till and after :British/Americantwenty to threefive past eightAmerican Onlytwenty of three twenty till three five after eight,Adverbs: immediately and directly can function in British English as subordinators. In American English, they must modify a subordinator, such as after: British: Immediately we went, it began to rain. Go to his office directly you arrive. American: Immediately after we went, it began to rain. go to his office directly after you arrive.,Vocabulary differences in meaning:a) Same Word , Different Meanings: Words British American homely down to earth; ugly ( of people ) domesticnervy nervous bold, full of nerve, cheeky pants underpants trouserspavement footpath, sidewalk road surfaceto tick off to scold to make angry,b) Same word, Additional meaning in one variety. Often the additional meaning is due to a metaphorical extension of the common meaning:,Additional Meaning in American English: Word Meaning Additional Meaning in Common in American Englishbathroom room with bath room with toilet or shower only and sink dumb mute stupidregular consistent; average(as in size) habitual, normal,Additional Meaning in American English: Word Meaning Additional Meaning in Common in American Englishto ship to transport to transport by by ship ship,train, plane or truck, etc.,c) Additional Meaning in British English:word Meaning Additional Meaning in Common in B.B.frontier a wild, open space border between two countriesto mind to heed, obey to look after,c) Additional Meaning in British English:word Meaning Additional Meaning in Common in B.B.smart intelligent well-groomedsurgery a medical operation an office of any doctor,d) Same Concept or Item, Different Word: US English Only Corresponds to B. B. emcee compere faucet tap muffler(on car) silencer rookie first year member sophomore second year student washcloth face flannel,British English Only American English dynamo generator hire purchase installment buying nought zero queue line treacle molasses spanner monkey wrench,American Britishabsorbent cotton cotton wool.Alumnus graduate any place anywhere.Apartment flat.,American Britishapartment house block of flats.Attorney barrister or solicitor.Automobile motorcar.baby carriage prambaby stroller push-chair.Ballpoint biro.Ballyhoo exaggerated publicity.Bar public house.,American BritishBarber gentlemens hairdresser.beauty parlour ladies hairdresser.Billboard hoarding.to blow ones top to fly into a rage,blue movie pornographic or erotic film.Bluff cliffbobby pin hair grip,American British broil grill.to bug someone to annoy someone. Bum tramp, vagrant.to bump off to murder, assassinate. Cab taxi.call collect reverse charges.,American British can tin. Candy sweets.to case a joint to spy out the land before a robbery. Cat jazz musician or fan. Checkers draughts. Closet fort station public lavatory, convenience.,American Britishcommercial bank clearing bank.con-man confidence trickster.Cookies sweet biscuits, small cakes. Corn maize, grain, Crackers biscuits (dry).,American BritishCrummy low-grade, poor quality, dirty. Cuffs turn-ups.custom-made, custom tailored made to measure. dead end cul-de-sac.dead-end street cul-de-sac. Dessert sweet. Detour diversion.,