Speakers of British and American English display some striking differences in their use of grammar. In this detailed survey, John Algeo considers questions
such as:
?Who lives on a street, and who lives in a street?
?Who takes a bath, and who has a bath?
?Who says Neither do I, and who says Nor do I?

?After “thank you”, who says Not at all and who says You’ re welcome?
?Whose team are on the ball, and whose team is?
Containing extensive quotations from real-life English on both sides of the Atlantic, collected over the past twenty years, this is a clear and highly organized guide to the differences – and the similarities – in the grammar of British and American speakers. Written for those with no prior knowledge of linguistics, it shows how these grammatical differences are linked mainly to particular words, and provides an accessible account of contemporary
English as it is actually used.
Reviews:
'... no other book covers quite the same ground. It will be useful for lexicographers, translators, editors, and material writers, as well as linguists and researchers. Not least, it will provide many ideas for students who are beginning research into the varieties ...'
-Journal of English Linguistics
"The book is an impressive achievement that will set a new standard in language variation studies and serve as a rich source of knowledge for students of British and American English."
-Jan Svartvik, Emeritus Professor of English, Lund University, Language Problems & Language Planning

 

 

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