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CLOSE ENCOUNTER 7

American English and British English


FOCUS: Irregular past tense verbs (for example, wrote, found, spoke)

Hundreds of years ago, Americans (1)......................... the same kind of English that the British
spoke. Also when they (2)......................... words on paper, they used the same vocabulary and spelling.
It is true that our language (3)......................... from the same roots, but gradually the English language
(4)......................... to be different. Both British and American English changed, and they
(5)......................... somewhat different. As time (6)......................... on, Americans (7).........................
to use different words for the same things. For example, instead of petrol, Americans
(8)......................... gas or gasoline. Americans (9)......................... each other to walk on the sidewalk,
but the British (10)......................... about the pavement.
When the British first (11)......................... to the new land, they (12)......................... very far
from English speakers back home. In a way, this separation (13)......................... Americans a new
kind of English. They (14)......................... only to each other and never (15)......................... that their
own accents were slowly changing. The accents of people back in England (16)......................... to
change too, but not in the same way. The change (17)......................... many years, but finally the
accents (18)......................... very different from each other.
A famous writer once (19)......................... that England and America were two countries
separated by the same language. One of the differences he (20)......................... in the languages
(21)......................... the spelling of words. Americans stopped using “u” in words like colour and
honour, but the British (22)......................... using it. This is still a difference today. At one time, many
people (23)......................... that they could simplify English by changing the spelling system. They
(24)......................... that if the spelling of words (25)......................... more like their pronunciation,
children in school could be (26)......................... correct spelling more easily. George Bernard Shaw
(27)......................... a lot of money to get people use a new alphabet, but he never (28).........................
them to change. People (29)......................... out that were too many problems changing the spelling
rules or the alphabet, so they (30)......................... the spelling system the way that it
(31)......................... .
In the past, many people (32)......................... that British English (33)......................... better
than American English, but today we know that one is not “better” than the other-just “different.”

Comprehension Check
Put a check on the line for each statement that is true:
1. ____ One difference between American and British English is the alphabet.
2. ____ American English changed, but British English did not.
3. ____ When Shaw tried to change the alphabet, he was not successful.
4. ____ When people live apart, their language changes and becomes different.
5. ____ British English is better than American English .
Write Now
Write a short paragraph about your language, or about something else in your country, that is different
now from what is was in the past. Try to use as many irregular past tense verbs as you can. Some
suggestions (in the present tense): begin, become, do, hear, choose, keep, give, have, find, say,
speak, tell, write, go, teach, put, know, cost.
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