80   I can understand American English

US English  British English   Meaning

apartment  flat  a set of rooms that is used as a home (apartment is sometimes used in British English for a smart holiday flat).

attorney  lawyer or barrister  a lawyer, especially one who represents people in court (barrister in British English).

datebook  diary  a book in which you write what you have to do in the future.

drugstore  chemist  a shop that sells medicines and other goods.

garbage/trash  rubbish

garbage/trash can  dustbin  waste food, paper, etc. that you throw away, a container outside your home, in which you put the waste.

gasoline/gas  petrol  fuel used in a car (e.g. We stopped for more gas on the way.).

high school  secondary school  a school for children aged 14 to 18 (a British secondary school is for children aged 11 to 16 or 18).

mall  shopping mall/shopping centre   shops, cinemas, etc. in a large covered area.

movie theater  cinema  a place where you see a movie (film in British English).

purse  handbag  a bag for money, keys, etc., used especially by women (in British English, a purse is mainly used for carrying coins).

railroad  railway  a system of trains and the tracks on which they run.

round trip  return (ticket)  a journey to a place and back.

sidewalk  pavement  the part of the road where people walk.

store  shop  a shop (large or small).

subway  underground  an underground railway system.

vacation  holiday  a period of time away from work or school, often spent travelling for pleasure.

 

spotlight  highway, freeway, expressway

The American English words highway, freeway, and expressway all refer to mainroads (British English) used for travelling long distances. A motorway (British English) is sometimes called an interstate (highway) in American English.

1     Combine words to form five more American English words.

free  side  cell  date  drug  rail  phone  way  walk  store  road  book

►   freeway

1     ____

2     ____

3     ____

4    ____

5    ____

1     sidewalk

2     cellphone

3     datebook

4     drugstore

5     railroad

5     ABOUT YOU  Write your answers, or ask another student.

1     How often do you use the subway? ________

2     How often do you use the railroad? ________

3     How often do you go to a movie theater? ________

4     What was the last movie you saw? ________

5     How often do you eat French fries? ________

6     Where did you go for your last vacation? ________

7     When was the last time you went to a mall? ________

8     When did you leave high school? ________

Answers from a Japanese person

1     I don’t often use the subway. I use it a few times a month.

2     I use the railroad twice a day, every day, to commute to work.

3     I go to a movie theater about twice a month.

4     The last movie I saw was No Reservations.

5     I sometimes eat French fries when I go for a beer with friends.

6     I went to Seoul on my last vacation.

7     The last time I went to a mall was about two months ago.

8     I left high school eighteen years ago.

 

6     Test yourself. Cover the US and British English words and look at the pictures and meanings. Can you remember the words?