there are many "Englishes" -- variations of the language. In this article I’ll focus on the two mostly commonly used versions of English -- British and American English.
Before we take a look at some of the differences between the two main types of English I’d like to stress that these differences are somewhat minor and with the ongoing internationalization of our modern world they could even said to be diminishing.
The few differences that exist between British and American English tend rather to enrich communication than slow it down.
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.
For a more complete list of the vocabulary differences between British and American English use this British vs. American English vocabulary tool.
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
Monday, June 29, 2009
DIFFERENCES BETWEEEN BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
USING BLOG TO ENHANCE STUDENT"S COMPETENCY IN ACQUIRING ENGLISH LANGUAGE
many people is complaining about english. is it so hard?? English teacher is always having problems in teaching. there is so many ways that we can improve our english. we have to speak english in our daily conversation to upgrade our communication skills. and we have to read a lot of english books to increase our vocabulary..
but, nowadays, there is a way how to improve our writing skills and also our confident to write. blog! technology make everything easier. using blog, we can write whatever we want such as our opinion about something or any issues. we also can share our personal experience with everybody. from blog, we can share many information with the others and we also can get many benefit from that information. this is the best way to enhance student's competency in acquiring english language. good luck everybody!
but, nowadays, there is a way how to improve our writing skills and also our confident to write. blog! technology make everything easier. using blog, we can write whatever we want such as our opinion about something or any issues. we also can share our personal experience with everybody. from blog, we can share many information with the others and we also can get many benefit from that information. this is the best way to enhance student's competency in acquiring english language. good luck everybody!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
alcoholism
What Is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often fatal; it is a primary disorder and not a symptom of other diseases or emotional problems. The chemistry of alcohol allows it to affect nearly every type of cell in the body, including those in the central nervous system. In the brain, alcohol interacts with centers responsible for pleasure and other desirable sensations. After prolonged exposure to alcohol, the brain adapts to the changes alcohol makes and becomes dependent on it. For people with alcoholism, drinking becomes the primary medium through which they can deal with people, work, and life. Alcohol dominates their thinking, emotions, and actions. The severity of this disease is influenced by factors such as genetics, psychology, culture, and response to physical pain.
Alcoholism can develop insidiously; often there is no clear line between problem drinking and alcoholism [see Box, below]. The only early indications of alcoholism may be the unpleasant physical responses to withdrawal that occur during even brief periods of abstinence. Sometimes people experience long-term depression or anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, or personal or work stress that lead to the use of alcohol for relief, but often no extraordinary events have occurred that account for the drinking problem.
Alcoholics have little or no control over the quantity they drink or the duration or frequency of their drinking. They are preoccupied with drinking, deny their own addiction, and continue to drink even though they are aware of the dangers. Over time, some people become tolerant to the effects of drinking and require more alcohol to become intoxicated, creating the illusion that they can "hold their liquor." They have blackouts after drinking and frequent hangovers that cause them to miss work and other normal activities. Alcoholics might drink alone and start early in the day. They periodically quit drinking or switch from hard liquor to beer or wine, but these periods rarely last. Severe alcoholics often have a history of accidents, marital and work instability, and alcohol-related health problems. Episodic violent and abusive incidents involving spouses and children and a history of unexplained or frequent accidents
Who Becomes an Alcoholic?
General Risks and Age.
Some population studies indicate that in a single year, between 7.4% and 9.7% of the population are dependent on alcohol, and between 13.7% and 23.5% of Americans are alcohol-dependent at some point in their lives. A 1996 national survey reported that 11 million Americans are heavy drinkers (five or more drinks per occasion on five or more days in a month) and 32 million engaged in binge drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion) in the month previous to the survey. People with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to begin drinking before the age of 20 and to become alcoholic. But anyone who begins drinking in adolescence is at higher risk. Currently 1.9 million young people between the ages of 12 and 20 are considered heavy drinkers and 4.4 million are binge drinkers. Although alcoholism usually develops in early adulthood, the elderly are not exempt. In fact, in one study, 15% of men and 12% of women over age 60 drank more than the national standard for excess alcohol consumption. Alcohol also affects the older body differently; people who maintain the same drinking patterns as they age can easily develop alcohol dependency without realizing it. Physicians may overlook alcoholism when evaluating elderly patients, mistakenly attributing the signs of alcohol abuse to the normal effects of the aging process.
Gender.
Most alcoholics are men, but the incidence of alcoholism in women has been increasing over the past 30 years. About 9.3% of men and 1.9% of women are heavy drinkers, and 22.8% of men are binge drinkers compared to 8.7% of women. In general, young women problem drinkers follow the drinking patterns of their partners, although they tend to engage in heavier drinking during the premenstrual period. Women tend to become alcoholic later in life than men, and it is estimated that 1.8 million older women suffer from alcohol addiction. Even though heavy drinking in women usually occurs later in life, the medical problems women develop because of the disorder occur at about the same age as men, suggesting that women are more susceptible to the physical toxicity of alcohol.
Family History and Ethnicity.
The risk for alcoholism in sons of alcoholic fathers is 25%. The familial link is weaker for women, but genetic factors contribute to this disease in both genders. In one study, women with alcoholism tended to have parents who drank. Women who came from families with a history of emotional disorders, rejecting parents, or early family disruption had no higher risk for drinking than women without such backgrounds. A stable family and psychological health were not protective in people with a genetic risk. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict which members of alcoholic families are most at risk for alcoholism.
Irish and Native Americans are at increased risk for alcoholism; Jewish and Asian Americans are at decreased risk. Overall, there is no difference in alcoholic prevalence between African Americans, whites, and Hispanic people. Although the biological causes of such different risks are not known, certain people in these population groups may be at higher or lower risk because of the way they metabolize alcohol. One study of Native Americans, for instance, found that they are less sensitive to the intoxicating effects of alcohol. This confirms other studies, in which young men with alcoholic fathers exhibited fewer signs of drunkenness and had lower levels of stress hormones than those without a family history. In other words, they "held their liquor" better. Experts suggest such people may inherit a lack of those warning signals that ordinarily make people stop drinking. Many Asians, on the other hand, are less likely to become alcoholic because of a genetic factor that makes them deficient in aldehyde dehydrogenase, a chemical used by the body to metabolize ethyl alcohol. In its absence, toxic substances build up after drinking alcohol and rapidly lead to flushing, dizziness, and nausea. People with this genetic susceptibility, then, are likely to experience adverse reactions to alcohol and therefore not become alcoholic. This deficiency is not completely protective against drinking, however, particularly if there is added social pressure, such as among college fraternity members. It is important to understand that, whether it is inherited or not, people with alcoholism are still legally responsible for their actions.
Emotional Disorders.
Severely depressed or anxious people are at high risk for alcoholism, smoking, and other forms of addiction. Major depression, in fact, accompanies about one-third of all cases of alcoholism. It is more common among alcoholic women (and women in general) than men. Interestingly, one study indicated that depression in alcoholic women may cause them to drink less than nondepressed alcoholic women, while in alcoholic men, depression has the opposite effect. Depression and anxiety may play a major role in the development of alcoholism in the elderly, who are often subject to dramatic life changes, such as retirement, the loss of a spouse or friends, and medical problems. Problem drinking in these cases may be due to self-medication of the anxiety or depression. It should be noted, however, that in all adults with alcoholism these mood disorders may be actually caused by alcoholism and often abate after withdrawal from alcohol.
Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often fatal; it is a primary disorder and not a symptom of other diseases or emotional problems. The chemistry of alcohol allows it to affect nearly every type of cell in the body, including those in the central nervous system. In the brain, alcohol interacts with centers responsible for pleasure and other desirable sensations. After prolonged exposure to alcohol, the brain adapts to the changes alcohol makes and becomes dependent on it. For people with alcoholism, drinking becomes the primary medium through which they can deal with people, work, and life. Alcohol dominates their thinking, emotions, and actions. The severity of this disease is influenced by factors such as genetics, psychology, culture, and response to physical pain.
Alcoholism can develop insidiously; often there is no clear line between problem drinking and alcoholism [see Box, below]. The only early indications of alcoholism may be the unpleasant physical responses to withdrawal that occur during even brief periods of abstinence. Sometimes people experience long-term depression or anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, or personal or work stress that lead to the use of alcohol for relief, but often no extraordinary events have occurred that account for the drinking problem.
Alcoholics have little or no control over the quantity they drink or the duration or frequency of their drinking. They are preoccupied with drinking, deny their own addiction, and continue to drink even though they are aware of the dangers. Over time, some people become tolerant to the effects of drinking and require more alcohol to become intoxicated, creating the illusion that they can "hold their liquor." They have blackouts after drinking and frequent hangovers that cause them to miss work and other normal activities. Alcoholics might drink alone and start early in the day. They periodically quit drinking or switch from hard liquor to beer or wine, but these periods rarely last. Severe alcoholics often have a history of accidents, marital and work instability, and alcohol-related health problems. Episodic violent and abusive incidents involving spouses and children and a history of unexplained or frequent accidents
Who Becomes an Alcoholic?
General Risks and Age.
Some population studies indicate that in a single year, between 7.4% and 9.7% of the population are dependent on alcohol, and between 13.7% and 23.5% of Americans are alcohol-dependent at some point in their lives. A 1996 national survey reported that 11 million Americans are heavy drinkers (five or more drinks per occasion on five or more days in a month) and 32 million engaged in binge drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion) in the month previous to the survey. People with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to begin drinking before the age of 20 and to become alcoholic. But anyone who begins drinking in adolescence is at higher risk. Currently 1.9 million young people between the ages of 12 and 20 are considered heavy drinkers and 4.4 million are binge drinkers. Although alcoholism usually develops in early adulthood, the elderly are not exempt. In fact, in one study, 15% of men and 12% of women over age 60 drank more than the national standard for excess alcohol consumption. Alcohol also affects the older body differently; people who maintain the same drinking patterns as they age can easily develop alcohol dependency without realizing it. Physicians may overlook alcoholism when evaluating elderly patients, mistakenly attributing the signs of alcohol abuse to the normal effects of the aging process.
Gender.
Most alcoholics are men, but the incidence of alcoholism in women has been increasing over the past 30 years. About 9.3% of men and 1.9% of women are heavy drinkers, and 22.8% of men are binge drinkers compared to 8.7% of women. In general, young women problem drinkers follow the drinking patterns of their partners, although they tend to engage in heavier drinking during the premenstrual period. Women tend to become alcoholic later in life than men, and it is estimated that 1.8 million older women suffer from alcohol addiction. Even though heavy drinking in women usually occurs later in life, the medical problems women develop because of the disorder occur at about the same age as men, suggesting that women are more susceptible to the physical toxicity of alcohol.
Family History and Ethnicity.
The risk for alcoholism in sons of alcoholic fathers is 25%. The familial link is weaker for women, but genetic factors contribute to this disease in both genders. In one study, women with alcoholism tended to have parents who drank. Women who came from families with a history of emotional disorders, rejecting parents, or early family disruption had no higher risk for drinking than women without such backgrounds. A stable family and psychological health were not protective in people with a genetic risk. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict which members of alcoholic families are most at risk for alcoholism.
Irish and Native Americans are at increased risk for alcoholism; Jewish and Asian Americans are at decreased risk. Overall, there is no difference in alcoholic prevalence between African Americans, whites, and Hispanic people. Although the biological causes of such different risks are not known, certain people in these population groups may be at higher or lower risk because of the way they metabolize alcohol. One study of Native Americans, for instance, found that they are less sensitive to the intoxicating effects of alcohol. This confirms other studies, in which young men with alcoholic fathers exhibited fewer signs of drunkenness and had lower levels of stress hormones than those without a family history. In other words, they "held their liquor" better. Experts suggest such people may inherit a lack of those warning signals that ordinarily make people stop drinking. Many Asians, on the other hand, are less likely to become alcoholic because of a genetic factor that makes them deficient in aldehyde dehydrogenase, a chemical used by the body to metabolize ethyl alcohol. In its absence, toxic substances build up after drinking alcohol and rapidly lead to flushing, dizziness, and nausea. People with this genetic susceptibility, then, are likely to experience adverse reactions to alcohol and therefore not become alcoholic. This deficiency is not completely protective against drinking, however, particularly if there is added social pressure, such as among college fraternity members. It is important to understand that, whether it is inherited or not, people with alcoholism are still legally responsible for their actions.
Emotional Disorders.
Severely depressed or anxious people are at high risk for alcoholism, smoking, and other forms of addiction. Major depression, in fact, accompanies about one-third of all cases of alcoholism. It is more common among alcoholic women (and women in general) than men. Interestingly, one study indicated that depression in alcoholic women may cause them to drink less than nondepressed alcoholic women, while in alcoholic men, depression has the opposite effect. Depression and anxiety may play a major role in the development of alcoholism in the elderly, who are often subject to dramatic life changes, such as retirement, the loss of a spouse or friends, and medical problems. Problem drinking in these cases may be due to self-medication of the anxiety or depression. It should be noted, however, that in all adults with alcoholism these mood disorders may be actually caused by alcoholism and often abate after withdrawal from alcohol.
song
THERE YOU'LL BE
When I think back on these times
And the dreams we left behind
I’ll be glad ‘cause I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back on these days
I’ll look and see your face
You were right there for me
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
Everywhere I am there you’ll be
Well you showed me how it feels
To feel the sky within my reach
And I always will remember all
The strength you gave to me
Your love made me make it through
Ohh I owe so much to you
You were right there for me
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
Everywhere I am there you’ll be
‘Cause I always saw in you my light, my strength
And I want to thank you now for all the ways
You were right there for me, you were right there for me
always
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
There you’ll be
When I think back on these times
And the dreams we left behind
I’ll be glad ‘cause I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back on these days
I’ll look and see your face
You were right there for me
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
Everywhere I am there you’ll be
Well you showed me how it feels
To feel the sky within my reach
And I always will remember all
The strength you gave to me
Your love made me make it through
Ohh I owe so much to you
You were right there for me
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
Everywhere I am there you’ll be
‘Cause I always saw in you my light, my strength
And I want to thank you now for all the ways
You were right there for me, you were right there for me
always
In my dreams I’ll always see your soul above the sky
In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life
I’ll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
And everywhere I am there you’ll be
There you’ll be
Thursday, June 11, 2009
movie review
title: wrong turn.
this movie is about a crew that making their reality show program with all the six participant at the jungle. but, they made a mistake. the jungle had been lived by the cannibal. After the briefing, all the participant had been separated into three group. along the game, one by one had been killed by the cannibal cruely. finally, only two of them were save after struggling to safe their life.
this movie is about a crew that making their reality show program with all the six participant at the jungle. but, they made a mistake. the jungle had been lived by the cannibal. After the briefing, all the participant had been separated into three group. along the game, one by one had been killed by the cannibal cruely. finally, only two of them were save after struggling to safe their life.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The Moon and The Star
Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to our lovely lecturer, Mr Shahrul and all my friend. today I would like to give a speech about the Moon and the Star.
The nearest of all astronomical bodies is an old friends which appears in the stories and songs of many cultures. The Moon is our lone natural satellite, a body that orbits or circles the earth about once a month under the force of gravity, which is the magnetic pull of the Earth. The Moon's diameter is a quater that of the earth's. its distance from us is 384000 km (283000 miles) and it is the only body in space to which human beings have travelled. If we compare sizes, the Moon is roughly the size of a baseball while the Earth is that of a basketball.
Star. I love to watch it especially when I feel lonely and sad. the brightness and the beauty make me feel warm and happy. In the night sky, the stars and the planets seem to be at the same distance from the Earth, but that is an illusion. The stars are distant suns. Even the second nearest star which is called Alpha centuri is much farther away than the sun. At such distances the Stars, no matter what their sizes are look like points of light. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of diversity among stars. some are much hotter than the sun while others are considerably cooler. some stars are brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye over vast distances while others are barely visible. This depends on whether a star has a tenth or a hundred times more of the sun's contents and also on its aging process called Stellar Aging. This is the process of change in a star brought about its aging. It is a very slow process . It takes millions and billions of years for stars for age. As a result, Stars appear unchanging. Thank you!
The nearest of all astronomical bodies is an old friends which appears in the stories and songs of many cultures. The Moon is our lone natural satellite, a body that orbits or circles the earth about once a month under the force of gravity, which is the magnetic pull of the Earth. The Moon's diameter is a quater that of the earth's. its distance from us is 384000 km (283000 miles) and it is the only body in space to which human beings have travelled. If we compare sizes, the Moon is roughly the size of a baseball while the Earth is that of a basketball.
Star. I love to watch it especially when I feel lonely and sad. the brightness and the beauty make me feel warm and happy. In the night sky, the stars and the planets seem to be at the same distance from the Earth, but that is an illusion. The stars are distant suns. Even the second nearest star which is called Alpha centuri is much farther away than the sun. At such distances the Stars, no matter what their sizes are look like points of light. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of diversity among stars. some are much hotter than the sun while others are considerably cooler. some stars are brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye over vast distances while others are barely visible. This depends on whether a star has a tenth or a hundred times more of the sun's contents and also on its aging process called Stellar Aging. This is the process of change in a star brought about its aging. It is a very slow process . It takes millions and billions of years for stars for age. As a result, Stars appear unchanging. Thank you!
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