British English and American English
Is there a difference between the English language as it is spoken by the English and by the Americans, not only with reference to the pronunciation? Read this text and you will see.When you arrive in America and want to continue your journey by "railroad" (not "railway" as you call it in England), you won't take your tickets at the "booking-office" but at the "ticket-window," and the man who hands it to you is no longer the "booking-clerk" but the "ticket-agent." You pay for your ticket with a ten dollar "bill," not a "note," as you call it in England.
You then fetch your "baggage" from the "baggage-room" (not the "cloak-room") and walk out on the "platform," it is here called "track." The train is already waiting and you quickly get into a "car" which in England you call a "carriage."
If you want to fix an appointment with a friend it will be best to "call him up." You are quite right in guessing that this is the same as to "ring him up." He will tell you how to get to his hotel, whether you have to go by "subway" by which the "underground railway" is understood, or whether you had better take the "trolley car," he may also call it "street car", or even "surface car."
But although these names will be unfamiliar to you, the "trolley" will take you to the hotel just as safely as the "tram" does.
Your friend will probably be expecting you in the "lobby," in England you call it "lounge." Then you will both get into the "elevator" (this is the lift) which will take you up to your friend's room.
It is comfortably furnished, and in the course of the conversation with your friend you are sure to learn that what you are used to calling a "cupboard" here goes by the name of "closet."
Your friend will probably take you out for a walk to have a look at the "shops" or "stores" as they call them in America. And then I suppose, you will drop into one of the numerous "movies." I hope you will not mind the "cinema" being called "movies" here, and you'll enjoy the "movie" just as much as though it were an English "film."
I. What is a railway (a booking-office, a booking-clerk, a note, luggage, a cloak-room, a platform, a carriage, the underground railway, a tram, a lounge, a lift, a cupboard, a shop, a cinema, a film) called in the USA ?
2. What does "to call up" mean in the USA?
3. Is there any difference between the English language spoken by the English and by the Americans?
4 Is the difference only in pronunciation?
5. Fill in the blanks with the proper words and tell this story in British English:
I arrived in New York by (1)______early in the morning. As my friend lives in this city I thought it best to (2)______him and to fix an appointment /договориться о встрече/ with him.
We decided to meet at 4 in the (3)______of the hotel where I wanted to stay for some days. I went to (4)_______of the station to fetch / забрать/ my (5)_______ . I had to get to the hotel by (6)______, then to change in the center and to continue my way by (7)_______. It took me to my hotel in time; my friend was expecting me near (8)_______ which took us up to my room on the 25th floor.
The room was comfortably furnished: there was a writing table, a TY set, some chairs and armchairs and (9)_______ in it. After a short talk my friend took me out for a walk to show me (10)_______ and (11)_______ . Late in the evening we dropped /зашли/ into one of the numerous (12)_______ and I enjoyed the film very much.
In some days I had to continue my journey and I went to (13)_______ to buy my ticket. (14)_______ handed it to me and I gave him a ten dollar (15)_______ .
My friend came to the station to see me off; we walked out on (16)_______ where the train was already waiting, and he helped me to get into (17)_______.
6. Fill in the blanks with the proper words and tell this story in American English:
I arrived in New York by (1)______early in the morning. As my friend lives in this city I thought it best to (2)______him and to fix an appointment /договориться о встрече/ with him.
We decided to meet at 4 in the (3)______of the hotel where I wanted to stay for some days. I went to (4)_______of the station to fetch / забрать/ my (5)_______ . I had to get to the hotel by (6)______, then to change in the center and to continue my way by (7)_______. It took me to my hotel in time, my friend was expecting me near (8)_______ which took us up to my room on the 25th floor.
The room was comfortably furnished: there was a writing table, a TY set, some chairs and armchairs and (9)_______ in it. After a short talk my friend took me out for a walk to show me (10)_______ and (11)_______ . Late in the evening we dropped /зашли/ into one of the numerous (12)_______ and I enjoyed the film very much.
In some days I had to continue my journey and I went to (13)_______ to buy my ticket. (14)_______ handed it to me and I gave him a ten dollar (15)_______ .
My friend came to the station to see me off; we walked out on (16)_______ where the train was already waiting, and he helped me to get into (17)_______.