Differences Between American and British English

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use American English spellings then be consistent in your spelling (i.e. The color of the orange is also its flavour - color is American spelling and flavour is British), this is of course not always easy - or possible. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example:

I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
In American English the following is also possible:
I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include already, just and yet.

British English:

I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film
Have you finished your homework yet?

American English:

I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

Possession

There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got

Do you have a car?
Have you got a car?
He hasn't got any friends.
He doesn't have any friends.
She has a beautiful new home.
She's got a beautiful new home.

While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he doesn't have etc.)

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English. Example He's gotten much better at playing tennis. British English - He's got much better at playing tennis.

Vocabulary

Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example:

Mean: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted)

Rubber: (American English - condom, British English - tool used to erase pencil markings)

There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a difference in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its definition of the term. Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles.

• American English - hood
  British English - bonnet
  

• American English - trunk
  British English - boot
  

• American English - truck
  British English - lorry
  

Once again, your dictionary should list whether the term is used in British English or American English.

Prepositions

There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following:

• American English - on the weekend
  British English - at the weekend
  

• American English - on a team
  British English - in a team
  

• American English - please write me soon
  British English - please write to me soon
  

Past Simple/Past Participles

The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and the regular form is more common to American English.

• Burn
  Burnt OR burned
  

• Dream
  dreamt OR dreamed
  

• Lean
  leant OR leaned
  

• Learn
  learnt OR learned
  

• Smell
  smelt OR smelled
  

• Spell
  spelt OR spelled
  

• Spill
  spilt OR spilled
  

  Spoil
  spoilt OR spoiled
  

Spelling

Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:

Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, flavor, flavour etc.
Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, patronise etc.

The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation.

Using blogs To Enhance Students Competency In Acquring English Language

Do you know that writing can be enhanced by writing journals or blogs. The new age has given us a new way to write our journals. The internet has given us blogs. I for one like blogging and it's my way to enhance or to improve my writing. It does not only expresses my thoughts but also improves my writing skills.

Start your own English language blogs. Even for people who don't have to write in English, writing can be a great way of properly learning the kind of vocabulary you need to describe your own life and interests, and of thinking about how to stop making grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is that they don't know what to write about. One traditional way to make sure you write every day in English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular topics include your language learning experience, your experience studying abroad, your local area, your language, or translations of your local news into English.

Write a news diary. Another daily writing task that can work for people who would be bored by writing about their own routines in a diary is to write about the news that you read and listen to everyday. If you include your predictions for how you think the story will develop (e.g. "I think Hillary will become president"), this can give you a good reason to read old entries another time, at which time you can also correct and mistakes you have made and generally improve what you have written.

ayat-ayat cinta (movie review & summarise song)

Desir pasir di padang tandus
Segersang pemikiran hati
Terkisah ku di antara cinta yang rumit

Bila keyakinanku datang
Kasih bukan sekadar cinta
Pengorbanan cinta yang agung
Ku pertaruhkan

REFF:
Maafkan bila ku tak sempurna
Cinta ini tak mungkin ku cegah
Ayat-ayat cinta bercerita
Cintaku padamu
Bila bahagia mulai menyentuh
Seakan ku bisa hidup lebih lama
Namun harus ku tinggalkan cinta
Ketika ku bersujud

bila keyakinanku datang
kasih bukan sekedar cinta
pengorbanan cinta yang agung
ku pertaruhkan

Repeat REFF:

Ketika ku bersujud 2x

this song is about love in desert at Egypt. The girl or Aisha is wearing a veil and the guy or Fahri is islamic person. And one more girl that is Maria who loves Fahri very much but she is christian religious. Fahri and Aisha were meant together and they get married but Maria didn't know about that. Then Maria feel very dissapointed when she know about that, until she got really bad condition. At that time, only Fahri can save her by married with Maria. Fahri refuse to marry Maria, but Aisha make a sacrifice by allowing Fahri to marry Maria to save Maria's life.......

wild child !

starring by =

• Emma Roberts as Poppy Moore
• Alex Pettyfer as Freddie Kingsley
• Natasha Richardson Mrs. Kingsley
• Georgia King as Harriet
• Aidan Quinn as Gerry Moore
• Kimberly Nixon as Kate
• Linzey Cocker as Josie
• Juno Temple as Jennifer "Drippy" Logan
• Sophie Wu as Camilla "Kiki"
• Shirley Henderson as Matron
• Daisy Donovan as Miss Rees-Withers
• Ruby Thomas as Jane
• Eleanor Turner-Moss as Charlotte
• Shelby Young as Ruby
• Nick Frost as Mr. Christopher
• Lexi Ainsworth as Molly
• Johnny Pacar as Roddy
• Hallie Kate Einsberg as Ruthie

The film starts with Poppy Moore (Emma Roberts) and her friends trashing all her dad's girlfriend's stuff in a wild prank. When her father angrily arrives, he tells her he is sending her to boarding school in England.

Arriving at the school, called Abbey Mount, Poppy meets the headmistress Mrs. Kingsley (Natasha Richardson), head girl Harriet (Georgia King), and her 'buddy' Kate (Kimberly Nixon). She is miserable in her new life, as she does not fit in and has no friends.

After getting dirty water on her by Harriet's "maid", Poppy and Kate become semi-friends. Discovering that the girls dinosaur phones were decoys, Kate lets Poppy use hers to call Ruby. When Ruby sees the message she is disgusted and goes to sleep with Roddy.

When she reveals that her mother had died several years ago, her roommates decide to help her get expelled. Together, they carry out several pranks which gradually brings them closer together. When none of their plans work they decide to seduce the headmistress's son Freddie, who is strictly forbidden to fraternize with any of the girls. After dancing with Freddie at the school dance, Poppy trips and hits her head, which leads Freddie to take the concussed girl outside for air, where he asks her out on a date.

The next day, Poppy discovers her talent for lacrose and whips the school's team into shape, getting them into the finals. On the date Poppy finds herself falling for Freddie. They kiss before Poppy returns to school, where she finds her roommates reading an email supposedly sent by Poppy stating that she thought all of her new friends were losers. She then finds that Freddie has been given a similar email and is thereafter ignored by her friends. Poppy, with no one else to turn to, sneaks down to the cook's room and rings Ruby, who accidentally reveals how much she dislikes Poppy. Feeling even more alone, Poppy starts playing with her lighter, accidentally setting a curtain alight. Hearing footsteps, she quickly puts out the fire and runs off. A few minutes later, she looks out her window to see a fire, and wakes the school. When they find that Drippy is missing, Poppy runs into the burning school to rescue her. After the fire is put out, Freddie finds her lighter and gives it back to her, refusing to listen to what happened. Just as she realizes that she no longer wants to leave, Poppy goes to the headmistress and confesses.

While Poppy waits for the Honour Court, who will decide if she should be expelled, Freddie finds her crying and becomes convinced that the fire was an accident. During the hearing, Poppy tells her story while her roommates find out that Poppy didn't send the emails. Going to the court, they stand up for Poppy and Harriet accidentally confesses to restarting the fire after Poppy had put it out. The movie is left off at the lacrosse finals. Poppy's father comes to the game and is shocked by Poppy's dramatic change of appearance and how much she looks like her mother. Abbey Mount wins the Lacrosse finals and the film ends with Poppy and her friends (including Freddie) in Malibu as she ignores Ruby's phone calls.

in my opinion,
Don't give up on yourself, Natasha Richardson's headmistress tell Emma Roberts out of control teen when she finds herself in her new strict English boarding school. There may be little that's new in this coming of age, fish-out-of-water tale about a rebel who finds her way, but first time screenwriter Lucy Dahl (daughter of the late Roald Dahl) has come up with a pert and charming script that is nicely handled by acclaimed editor Nick Moore in his second project as director. It's all about how Roberts' Poppy brings change to Abbey Mount School and in turn how the school and students change her. The film has an energy and honesty about it: it's lively, funny and smart and the characters are appealing. There's plenty to appeal to young teenage girls and women who enjoy being reminded of their teenage years will also be entertained.

you belong with me - Taylor Swift

You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, shes upset
Shes going off about something that you said
Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do
I’m in my room, it’s a typical Tuesday night
I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like
And she’ll never know your story like I do

But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up
And find what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can’t you see
You belong with me, you belong with me

Walkin’ the streets with you and your worn-out jeans
I can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself
Hey isn’t this easy

And you’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town
I haven’t seen it in a while since she brought you down
You say you’re fine, I know you better then that
Hey whatcha doing with a girl like that

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
Shes cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can’t you see
You belong with me
Standing by and waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know baby
You belong with me, you belong with me

Oh, I remember you drivin’ to my house in the middle of the night
I’m the one who makes you laugh, when you know you’re ’bout to cry
And I know your favorite songs and you tell me ’bout your dreams
Think I know where you belong, think I know it’s with me

Can’t you see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can’t you see
You belong with me
Standing by and waiting at your back door
All this time How could you not know
Baby you belong with me, you belong with me
You belong with me
Have you ever thought just maybe you belong with me
You belong with me


This song about one “nerd” girl loving one man but he already have a special girlfriend. She hopes the guy know that only her understands what that guy go through. She’s the one who makes him laugh when she know the guy are about to cry and she know his favourite songs and he tell her about his dreams. She’s been waiting that guy all along and standing by and waiting at his back door, but the guy didn’t notice her. Then one day, the guy asked her to go for prom night party, but she’s busy studying. But then she make decision to go for the prom night party and searching that guy. The guy came to her and ask to dance together. While they are dancing, she shows to the guy the paper that she wrote “I love u” on it. Then the guy replying her letter also with a paper that wrote "I love u” on it. Then they are kissing each other and they live happily ever after.

alcoholism

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that alcoholism has a genetic component, but the actual gene that may cause it has yet to be identified.

Studies of laboratory animals as well as human test subjects indicate that genetic factors play a major role in the development of alcoholism, but just how much a factor remains undetermined.

Children of alcoholics are four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, but environmental factors could be a factor in many of those cases.

Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that alcoholism definitely has a genetic component.In 1990, Blum et al. proposed an association between the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene and alcoholism. The DRD2 gene is the first candidate gene that has shown promise of an association with alcoholism (Gordis et al., 1990).

A study in Sweden followed alcohol use in twins who were adopted as children and reared apart. The incidence of alcoholism was slightly higher among people who were exposed to alcoholism only through their adoptive families. However, it was dramatically higher among the twins whose biological fathers were alcoholics, regardless of the presence of alcoholism in their adoptive families.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) are using fruit flies to find the genetic causes of alcoholism, the Wall Street Journal reported. According to the scientists, drunken drosophila fruit flies behave the same way human do when they are drunk. In addition, a fruit fly's resistance to alcohol appears to be controlled by the same molecular mechanism as humans.

Hugo Bellen, a geneticist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said the study "lays the foundation for a genetic approach to dissecting the acute, and possibly the chronic, effects" of alcohol in people.

In another study scientist selectively bred two strains of mice: those that are not genetically sensitive to alcohol, and those that are acutely genetically sensitive to it. The two strains show markedly different behavior[/link] when exposed to identical amounts of alcohol.

The sensitive mice tend to lose their inhibitions and pass out rather quickly, earning them the nickname "long sleepers." "Short sleepers" are mice that are genetically less sensitive to alcohol. They seem to lose fewer inhibitions, and tolerate the alcohol for longer before they pass out.

"Alcohol consumption is influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors," said Gene Erwin, PhD, professor of pharmaceutic sciences at the CU School of Pharmacy, "This study indicated that genetic factors play more of a role, and we're trying to understand the power of those genetic factors."

If alcoholism can be traced to a particular gene or combination of genes, how can the information be used?

"These genes are for risk, not for destiny," stressed Dr. Enoch Gordis, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He added that the research could help in identifying youngsters at risk of becoming alcoholics and could lead to early prevention efforts.

gAy MaRrIaGe !

One of the lesser topics making waves in society is that of gay marriage. I call it a lesser topic because, while gay marriage is an important issue, it simply does not hold a candle to war. War is perhaps the most meaningful outlet for the full spectrum of human expression, and we should make it our primary focus always. Way down the list of important topics, right after healthcare and global warming, is gay marriage. As a straight man belonging to the coveted 18-25-year-old male demographic, I consider myself uniquely qualified to comment on this issue that has nothing to do with me whatsoever.

With upwards of hundreds of gay people living in the United States, gay marriage has become somewhat of an epidemic, however unless gay people are also magical, it looks like homosexual marriage is destined to remain as illegal as crime, which is a pretty bad thing I'm told. And, if gay people are indeed magical, it might be necessary for another series of witch trials for the safety of everyone. This all might seem unfair, but we do live in an unfair society. If you think gay rights are limited, just look at what the terrorists have to put up with. Their rights are virtually nonexistent, and with such hatred directed towards them it's no wonder they want to blow us up.

The age-old reasoning as to why gay marriage is a crime against nature is that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, not unlike beating the Pope to death with a baseball bat. Somewhere in the Bible, sandwiched in-between the all-encompassing madness is a line that says it is unconstitutional for a man to marry another man. This is reinforced by the story of Noah's ark. Noah managed to fit two of every animal into a huge ark and navigate around a flooded earth, evading storms and sea creatures. When the waters subsided, the earth was repopulated with the animals he sheltered. Had he not picked both a male and female of every one of the millions of animal and insect species he saved, there would have been no reproduction. Thanks to this we are living in a healthy and densely populated world. No thanks to you, gay culture!

Times have changed and the world is no longer recovering from a flood. People are plentiful and thusly homosexuality is a viable alternative for those seeking adventure in territories with geography similar to their own. Religion, being inarguably separate from the state these days, is no longer a valid justification for outlawing anything. So what's the real reason behind the Wild West style stance against homosexual marriage? Simply put, it's a lack of understanding on both sides of the fence. To truly understand an issue, one has to do research. That's not an easy task, and gay people need to understand this. For example, in order to properly research this speech, I would have to marry another man. I simply cannot do that, not just because it's illegal, but because I am secretly attracted to women and often admire them when they are not looking, which is pretty often. This creates a catch-22, because in order for politicians to understand and legalize gay marriage, they would have to marry a member of the same sex, which is illegal. Do homosexuals really want elected officials to commit crimes on their behalf? Although politicians are by nature corrupt and often criminal, we generally ask them not to be as a courtesy. That's what this issue is really about: courtesy. Homosexuals are not being courteous to the people they elected!

So in summary: gay marriage is technically impossible. Seriously, I've proven this beyond the shadow of a doubt with science and science's older brother - logic. You can check my work again if you don't believe me, but the results will still come out the same. I'm not trying to rain on anybody's pride parade here; I'm just trying to be honest. I have no vendetta against homosexuals and I'm all for equality, even though gay people did steal rainbows and unicorns away from us. What we have here is a case of logic being the real monster and oppressor.

Marriage, being the relationship equivalent of the Titanic, is only going to end in a lot of homosexuals with broken hearts and hurt feelings. These days the very concept of marriage is worth about as much as a loaf of bread that someone threw up on. Besides, if stereotypes teach us anything, it's that all men are pigs and all women are sluts. That fact pretty much invalidates all forms of marriage by itself.

I'm afraid homosexuality loses this round. They have a solid argument, but it just doesn't hold up against the law, which will never change because of reasons that need not be questioned. Ever. It would be nice if homosexuals could have the same freedoms we do so that they could squander them as we do, but one man's freedom is another man's gays are encroaching on my religious beliefs and God will punish us if this is allowed to pass. In the end, the man who believes he has God on his side wins. Until we figure out a way to defeat God, things are never going to change.