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American and British English - Differences in vocabulary - II

Real

In informal American English, real is often used instead of really before adjectives and adverbs.

• That was real nice.
• She sings real well.

Sure

Sure is often used to mean certainly in an informal style. This is common in American English.

• ‘Can I borrow your bicycle?’ ‘Sure.’

Slow

Slow is used as an adverb in road signs, and informally after go and some other verbs especially in American English.

Examples are: go slow, drive slow.

Any more

In British English, any more is usually written as two separate words. In American English, it is often written as one word anymore when it refers to time (= any longer). It usually comes in end position.

• She doesn’t work in New York anymore.

Around and about

In British English, around and about are both used to refer to movements or positions that are not very clear or definite: ‘here and there’, ‘in lots of places’, ‘in different parts of’, ‘somewhere in’ and similar ideas.

• The children were running around/about everywhere. (GB)
• ‘Where is John?’ ‘He must be somewhere around/about.’ (GB)

In American English, about is not used with this meaning. Americans normally use around.

• The children were running around everywhere. (US)
• ‘Where is John?’ ‘He must be somewhere around.’ (US)

Note that in American English, about is mostly used to mean ‘approximately’.

• There were about fifty people there.

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