Questions on English Grammar

a) What are the most important differences between British English and American English? (provide a few examples also)

The difference between these dialects of English lies mostly in vocabulary and idioms, either because the same word has different meanings in British English and in American English or beacause the same idea is conveyed by two different words. For example, in England people use the underground to go to work. In New York, people take the subway. Americans eat french fries while British eat chips. If you read in the New York Time that "the president is mad", it means he is angry. If the Sun titles "the prime minister is mad", it means he is crazy !

There are also grammar and spelling differences. British would never say "I have never really gotten to know her", but American uses that form. Amoung spelling variations, these are well-known :
the ending -or in American and -our in British (color/colour, neighbor/neighbour)
the ending -er in American and -re in British (theater/theatre, liter/litre)
the ending -ize in American and -ise or -ize in British (realize/realise, baptize/baptise)

Finally, although American and British prononciation are sometimes very different, people can usually understand each other.


b) What is standard English?

Standard English is what is used in official documents, in gouvernment, law, business, education and literature fields, for example. Which dialect becomes "standard" in a question of convention influenced by historical elements more than one of correctness. In our case, we consider the English spoken in London and the East Midlands as the "official" dialect.

c) What is a dialect?

A dialect is any form of a language that may have a different grammar or different words than the standard. It is not a bad way of speaking the language, since it does have an precise grammar that rules the dialect. However, it is important to remember that standard English sometimes suits better in many situations, formal documents or meetings, for example.

d) What are the characteristics of formal English as oppose to informal or spoken English?

In informal English, the use of contractions (I'm, he's, it's, we've, etc.) is frequent, but it should not be used in formal writing. Informal English is also a little more permissive with preposition; they can be placed at the end of sentences. "Where do you come from ?" is not to be heard during formal meetings. The use of relative pronouns are prescribed in formal English, but unecessary in everyday speech. We also often see ellipsis in conversations between friends, but rarely in situations where formal English is preferred.
Moreover, vocabulary may give important hints to recongnize formal English than informal English. For example, the words fix, OK or start are the informal pendants of repair, satisfactory and commence.