British & American English, some more differences....

As I mentioned in my last post there are some differences between British and American English, regarding vocabulary, but we have other differences such as prounciation, for example.

Take a look at this video where you have two girls (one is British and the other one is American):-

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/youtubers/british-vs-american-accent-challenge

What about culture? Are our cultures the same???

Watch this video and try to answer the questions:-

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/youtubers/british-vs-american-culture-quiz

Is it British English or American English?

In class a lot of people ask me is that British English or American English?

Good question. At the end of the day we all speak English in the same way Spanish is spoken in Spain and in South America but some vocabulary is different.

Here are some examples:-

Feel free to add any others you can think of in the comments.

What would happen if the world were 100 people???

Imagine there were only a hundred people in the world, would it be a better place? Watch this video to find out. It really puts things into perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrqTFRy-LU

While watching this video I would like you to think about the second conditional:-

IF + past simple, SB + would / could / should + INF

* You can exchange IF for WHEN, AS SOON AS or UNLESS.

When you use the verb to be in the second conditional (in the past simple), we need to use the form "were" for every subject, like Beyoncé's song "If I were a boy..." NOT "If I was a boy..."

Therefore:-

If the world (it) were 100 people, 31 people would be Christian.... 

OR

Only 77 people would have shelter, if the world were 100 people.

Watch the video and try to make some other examples.

An interview with a twist.... Tom Hardy answers kids' questions

Here's one of the best videos I've seen in recent weeks:-

https://youtu.be/bYbWX1kQ_jE

As you can see it's the actor, Tom Hardy, answering questions from children. Tom is from London and of Irish descent so he speaks British English.

Watch the video and tell me if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F), feel free to leave your answers in the comments.

1) Cooper's favourite number is 15.

2) Tom says (to Lola) "Being good is more important than being naughty."

3) Sienna has recently played Glinda the Bad Witch.

4) All of Isabella's princesses are Disney princesses.

5) Tom says you should love every living being unless they attack you.

Homophones - The same pronunciation, different spelling & meaning

HOMOPHONES

Homophones are words that despite having a different spelling and meaning have the same pronunciation. I have seen students suffer trying to find a subtle difference in the pronunciation of sun and son or eight and ate, so if you've been there too, don't worry there's no difference at all!

Here are some more examples:-

Can you think of any others? Feel free to share them with us in the comments....

Polysemes - words with several meanings

POLYSEMES - WORDS WITH SEVERAL MEANINGS

In English there are a wide range of polysemes such as:-

SET

- Configure "I've set my alarm clock for seven o'clock."
- Arrange a date "Let's set a date for our next meeting!"
- Established (adj) "You must read the set reading book by 21st September."

Here are some other examples:-

How many others can you think of? Feel free to add your ideas in the comments.

Other ways to say "I think"

Other ways to say "I think":-- As I understand it...- I consider....- It seems to me that...- I believe...- As I see....- In my opinion...- To my mind...- From my point of view....- As far as I'm concerned...

Here's something for an opinion essay or a speaking exam. In the FCE (B2) exam, these expressions are ideal for the obligatory writing essay or for part 4 of the speaking exam where you have to discuss questions with another candidate. If you're going to an official exam try not to repeat basic expressions such as I think, for example or because, as your level increases you should also make an effort to use richer vocabulary. It seems difficult at first but practice makes perfect!