Questions tagged [american-english]
This tag is for questions specifically related to the English language as spoken and written in the USA. If you are interested in a difference between American English and British English, please use transatlantic-differences.
130
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3
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Is "singular they" widely used?
I often use singular they to keep my sentences gender neutral. Many of my friends (none of them are native speakers), however, consider this to be grammatically incorrect, and suggest me not to use it ...
- 1,219
18
votes
3
answers
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When is using the past perfect tense not necessary?
Is it more natural to speak in simple past or past perfect when explaining past events to a friend? It seems like Americans use more simple past in everyday life than past perfect. I found this ...
- 1,771
14
votes
4
answers
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"Gotten" versus "got"
When in a sentence I want to use the present perfect of get, I say have/has gotten.
A friend of mine (who is American) corrects me, saying I should use have/has got. From my English classes, I ...
- 20.9k
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votes
3
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"compare with" or "compare to"
Please check both sentences and let me know, which one is correct and why?
She compares me with her boyfriend.
She compares me to her boyfriend.
- 4,017
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1
answer
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Can we use "to" before home, if we are using determiners (her, my, your etc.) before home?
I know these sentences are correct:
I am going home.
I am coming home.
I went home.
Please let me know, are these sentences also correct or not:
I am going to her home.
I am ...
- 4,017
5
votes
1
answer
505
views
Can relative pronouns be omitted in some regions?
“I guess it was Cal asked Lee.” (Aron, born in California) . . .
. . . “That’s a smell could raise me out of a concrete grave.”
(Adam, born in Connecticut) (John Steinbeck, East of Eden)
In the ‘...
- 24.2k
4
votes
2
answers
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I have no choice but verb(to / -ing or none)
Which one is correct?
I have no choice but to kill you.
I have no choice but killing you.
I have no choice but kill you.
or do they have different meanings?
- 213
1
vote
1
answer
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When should I use "to" before "home"
I have read that we do not use to before home as home is an adverb here:
I am going home.
You come home.
He goes home.
We can use to before home in some cases:
I am going to his home.
...
- 4,017
0
votes
2
answers
4k
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How often is the expression "get on well" used? Is there any difference with "get along"?
I have been talking with a person from US and when I said something like this:
They do not get on well with others
She didn´t understand me at first, but later she said that was a funny sentence ...
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25
votes
3
answers
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What should I say if someone from the opposite side of the earth says “good morning”?
This may sound like a silly question, but I'm having a bit of confusion.
I'm not sure what to say. I work remotely and I am a member of a team on the opposite side of the earth. On the chat, when ...
- 353
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4
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Meaning: "waiting for 6 hours" vs. "6 hours since I was waiting"
Do the following sentences denote the same thing?
I have been waiting for you for 6 hours.
It's been 6 hours since I was waiting for you.
- 1,211
6
votes
5
answers
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Is it possible to be grammatically correct without using past perfect?
Can you guys please help with which verb tense to use when talking about numerous specific events?
In the example below, I'm not quite sure if past perfect really is necessary.
"She sent me a ...
- 1,771
5
votes
1
answer
421
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-eer vowel (accent/dialect variation?)
Examples:
hero, cheer, fear, searing, here, ...
Most dictionaries will cough up /ɪə/ or even short I for this vowel.
Unfortunately I cannot hear such a thing. Instead I hear /i/.
I am a native ...
- 4,564
5
votes
2
answers
3k
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Why is Christina Perri pronouncing "closer" as "cloSSer"?
In this song at 0:58, Christina Perri pronounced the word "closer" with an S sound: clo[s]er
I have always pronounced and heard it with a Z sound. Is the pronunciation of "closer" ...
user126704
5
votes
1
answer
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“Are” vs. “is” after “parents and the family”
I was reading the news on Yahoo and found a mistake (as per my opinion). I need your valuable feedback to make sure if it was a mistake or I am wrong! It is a paragraph on Yahoo. Please check and let ...
- 4,017
5
votes
2
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249
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a fighting for the glory - how do you understand this type of grammar?
A stanza from a song called John Paul Jones by Johnny Horton:
When John Paul was a captain in the U.S. Naval Band
A fightin' for the glory and the freedom of our land
He made those British ...
- 37.7k
3
votes
3
answers
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Ability in the future: Can vs Will be able to?
According to the Oxford Grammar Course (Intermediate) book by Swan & Walter, we CAN use Can if we are deciding now what to do in the future. In other cases, we use will be able to.
I need some ...
- 39
1
vote
2
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211
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"I have got to sing" or "I have gotten to sing"
I know that normally in American English we use "gotten" after has/have but in this type of construction, do Americans say "got" or "gotten"? As in
"I have got to ...
- 543
1
vote
1
answer
755
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"Chances of (doing) something" vs. "chances at (doing) something"?
Could you tell me if chances of (doing) something and chances at (doing) something mean the same? For example:
Your chances of/at getting a place at the college are high.
I would have thought that ...
- 16k
1
vote
2
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In American English, why is the past tense of "plan" spelt "planned"?
In American English, a lot of words are spelt with a single consonant plus "-ed", rather than two consonants as you often find in British English. Why isn't "plan" spelt with a single consonant?
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159
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8
answers
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Why "grand theft auto", not "grand auto theft"?
There is a video game series called "Grand Theft Auto".
According to its Wikipedia page:
The name of the series references the term used in the US for motor
vehicle theft.
[...]
Motor ...
- 2,481
61
votes
6
answers
23k
views
Is it OK to mix American and British English?
I normally write using the American English forms, but for some particular words, I tend to naturally write it in the British manner (like with the word favourite rather than favorite).
Is it wrong ...
- 1,271
41
votes
5
answers
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What does "Nailed it" mean?
I came across a few combinations of 'nailed it' or 'nailed down' in various contexts. According to the blog-posts, it seems to be widespread on the internet.
However, I have never heard these ...
- 1,102
30
votes
7
answers
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What do they mean with "Hi, how are you doing"?
When I was in New York the workers at the counter (in a shop) always said
Hi, how are you doing?
I was, and still am very confused if they just mean "hello", or actually want to know how I feel.
...
- 417
14
votes
1
answer
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What does (R-TN) after a name mean?
An example:
US Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) wants to make sure the Federal Communications Commission never interferes with "states' rights" to protect private Internet service providers from having ...
- 143
12
votes
1
answer
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When can we omit the preposition "on" before weekdays
I am a bit confused. When can we omit the preposition on before weekdays? (Monday, Tuesday etc.) Sometimes I read weekdays without the preposition on. If the preposition is left out, does it work the ...
- 4,017
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votes
6
answers
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If somebody calls you "Hello Trouble", what does it mean?
What does it exactly mean if somebody says "Hello, Trouble" to you?
One of my colleagues said "Hello, Trouble" to me this morning. I just replied "Hi", as I was not sure what to say.
So just ...
- 187
9
votes
3
answers
422
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Singular they and gender neutrality
Gender neutrality seems like a tough nut in English. "One" seems very helpful, but since it's pretty difficult to phrase a right question regarding its usage because of the countless possible uses of ...
- 1,155
7
votes
1
answer
848
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Is "envisageable" a legitimate English adjective?
I am wondering If I can say (self-made example)
Given the growth rate of the job market, a better future is envisageable.
I searched about it and it looks, it is basically a French term. So, I am not ...
- 6,025
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votes
4
answers
3k
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am I a native speaker? [duplicate]
Ever since I was born, I'd lived with an American family. They were missionaries from Atlanta and they lived with me and my family for over 14 years. So I literally grew up with their kids and they ...
5
votes
3
answers
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Is "life" a countable noun in English?
I am a learner of English. Sometimes I see an article (a and the) before the noun (life) but sometimes I also see the noun without any article. So I am confused when should I use an article before the ...
- 4,017
5
votes
3
answers
712
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Do Americans remove the "t" in "wanted"?
When you pronounce the phrase "I got a message you wanted to see me", is the "t" usually deleted in the word "wanted"? Thank you.
- 893
5
votes
2
answers
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I have to go vs I have got to go [closed]
Can we say one of them is more American English or British English?
I have to go to school.
I have got to go to school.
I got to go school.
I gotta go.
Gotta go.
- 59
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1
answer
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What's the difference about /t̬/ and /d/?
In the IPA.It has a diacritic, voiced.This mark always be used in AmE,japanese... such as water /ˈwɔːt̬ ər/,party /ˈpɑːrt̬i/,私 /ɰat̬aɕi/. So,if a voiceless consonant plus this voiced mark, how to ...
4
votes
1
answer
797
views
Why sometimes in the U.S.A do they skip verbs?
Reading some lyrics from American songs, I've noticed that sometimes they skip verbs. For example in F.N. by Lil Tjay he says "You a Man, I don't fear you" Isn't this wrong? I think it ...
4
votes
1
answer
37k
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Meaning of "Orange is the new black" [duplicate]
There is a TV show by this name. And I heard someone saying it too. I googled its meaning but the effort went in vain.
- 2,017
3
votes
2
answers
940
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Can we drop the T sound in word grunting in American English?
I was taught that when the T sound after an N sound, the T can be dropped in American English. As internet can be pronounced as innernet, winter can be winner, printer can be prinner.
What about ...
- 1,891
3
votes
4
answers
361
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Using 'may' and 'might' in AmE
Do the following sentences sound natural in formal AmE speech:
You may go now if you want to.
You might go now if you want to.
I think both of them are correct, but the latter is far more formal or ...
- 14.3k
3
votes
4
answers
169
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Are the storage spaces of this piece of furniture called cubby holes? Can they be called cubby holes?
Are the storage spaces of this piece of furniture called cubby holes? Can they be called cubby holes? I am specifically interested in American English.
I have consulted many dictionaries but I am not ...
- 889
3
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3
answers
919
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Does `That's very sweet of you` in the US sound like `That's very sweef you`?
Does That's very sweet of you in the US sound like That's very sweef you?
the of is only speak f and link with swee
- 231
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1
answer
5k
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Difference between "I'm home" vs "I'm at home"
What's the difference between these two sentences? And which one's grammatically correct?
- 2,017
2
votes
2
answers
8k
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What does "let's gut her" mean?
Michael Cohen retweeted something which said:
let’s gut her
"her" is referring to Megyn Kelly.
He later said that this was not a threat to her safety, as the definition of "gut" is:
to make (...
- 131
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3
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What is correct "Your father just told me" or "Your father has just told me."
In Oscar a 1991 American slapstick crime comedy film directed by John Landis, I heard: "Your father just told me".
Why do not correct to say "Your father has just told me."?
Because in "How English ...
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vote
2
answers
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How to use "so here it goes?"
How to use "so here it goes?".
I have written this sentence.
I have made up a short story. Here it goes.
When I was in ...
I am confused about what is the correct way to write it.
When should ...
- 155
1
vote
1
answer
263
views
Can any native English speakers hear the flap t sound in "But I..." in the clip?
There are five segments in the clip. Are all the ts in "But I..." pronounced out the flap t sound? I personally can hear the flap t sound in the second and third segments. The first and ...
- 383
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vote
2
answers
900
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(Bell pepper, capsicum, chilli, pepper) What's the difference?
I would like to know the meaning that comes to your mind when you hear the four words as a native speaker. If you don't know the difference between two of the words, please let me know instead of ...
- 2,006
1
vote
2
answers
4k
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Problem listening to foreign accents [closed]
From the beginning I had some problems listening to foreign accents. Like when someone from my native country (India) speaks English I understand it at once, but if someone from a foreign country ...
user3561
1
vote
2
answers
672
views
Having past participle
Am I correct in thinking that having + past participle conveys the flowing meaning?
Pharse:
Tomorrow, having finished the game, I will go home.
Means:
Tomorrow, after finishing the game, I ...
- 181
1
vote
1
answer
284
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Using Past Simple (verb to be) for Unreal (Counterfactual) Past Situations
In this post (Using just Past Simple in the Third conditional) Michael Swan says:
262 if (7): other structures found in spoken English
4 mixed tenses
Sometimes a simple past tense is used ...
- 5,938
0
votes
2
answers
63
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Difference between columns,rows and lines in three dimensional spaces?
What's the difference between a line, a column and a row in three dimensional contexts? (I know that a column also means ''a supporting structure'' and that's not what this post is about).
Please, ...
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