Which English to use: US or UK?
- addclarity2
- Jun 30, 2021
- 2 min read
Whether you are writing a thesis or an article, you have to be aware of language conventions. Sometimes those conventions are decided for you. For instance, if you are studying at a British, Australian or New Zealand college or tertiary institute, you will have to use the British language conventions. At other times you may have to decide for yourself.
Whichever version of English you decide to use, you should make sure you are consistent. Having both mixed up causes reader confusion and makes your writing harder to read.
There are differences in vocabulary, spelling and grammar. You can use the internet and dictionaries to check words you are unsure of. The spell check on your computer will also help. Set it to British or American English to make sure you are using the version you need.
The link below from americanenglish.state.gov illustrates a variety of spelling and vocabulary differences.
One of the main differences in the two grammar systems is the American use of ‘gotten’ as a past participle while the British use ‘got’, e.g.
You have gotten just a few minutes to say goodbye (US).
You have got just a few minutes to say goodbye (UK).
To sum up, choose a system appropriate to your audience and be consistent. However, don’t get too hung up on the differences, as generally we can understand what is written, even if there are some anomalies!
Have you seen my shoes? No, sorry I haven’t (UK).
Did you see my shoes? No, sorry I didn’t (US).
You can find more about the two systems on the following link to Jacqueline Schaalje’s blog, which is also where the cartoon came from.
https://englishwithasmile.org/2015/09/26/essential-differences-between-american-and-british-english/
To sum up, choose a system appropriate to your audience and be consistent. However, don’t get too hung up on the differences as generally we can understand what is written, even if there are some anomalies!
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