Internet Acronyms List

• AFAIK means “As far as I know”
• AMA means “Ask me anything”
• CMV means “Change my view”
• DAE means “Does anybody else” or “Does anyone else”
• ELI5 means “Explain like I’m 5 (years old)”
• FTFY means “Fixed that for you”
• IAMA means “I am a”
• IANAD means “I am not a doctor”
• IANAL means “I am not a lawyer”
• IIRC means “If I recall correctly”
• IMO/IMHO means “In my opinion” and “In my humble/honest opinion”, respectively
• ITT means “In this thread”
• MRW/MFW means “My reaction when” and “My face when”, respectively
• NSFL means “Not safe for life” (gory or gross content)
• OP means “Original poster” (the person who started the thread)
• [Serious] means “Serious responses only” 
• PSA means “Public service announcement”
• TIL means “Today I learned”
• TL;DR means “Too long; Didn’t read”
• YSK means “You should know”

Grammar Test

1. Jenny ___________ tired.

be

is

has

have
2. " ___________ is she?" "She's my friend from London"

Who

Why

Which

What
3. Today is Wednesday. Yesterday it ___________ Tuesday.

were

is

be

was
4. It's Thursday today. Tomorrow it ___________ Friday.

be

was

will be

will
5. ___________ lots of animals in the zoo.

There

There is

There are

There aren't
6. How many people ___________ in your family?

are there

is there

there are

there
7. "Has Steve got a sister?" "No, he ___________, but he's got 2 brothers."

has

hasn't

haven't

not
8. Where ___________ Sarah live?

are

is

do

does
9. ___________ to London on the train yesterday?

Did Mary went

Did Mary go

Mary go

Mary goes
10. Jack ___________ English, Spanish and a bit of French.

speaks

speak

speaking

is speaking

Differences Between American and British English

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American English and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The three major differences between between American and British English are:

• Pronunciation - differences in both vowel and consonants, as well as stress and intonation

• Vocabulary - differences in nouns and verbs, especially phrasal verb usage and the names of specific tools or items
• Spelling - differences are generally found in certain prefix and suffix forms

The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use American English spellings then be consistent in your spelling (i.e. The color of the orange is also its flavour - color is American spelling and flavour is British), this is of course not always easy - or possible. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.

Minor Grammar Differences

There are very few grammar differences between American and British English. Certainly, the words we choose might be different at times. However, generally speaking, we follow the same grammar rules. With that said, there are a few differences. 

 

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 you 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.
American English: He's gotten much better at playing tennis.
British English: He's got much better at playing tennis.
'Have got' is used predominately in British English to indicated 'have' in the sense of possession. Strangely, this form is also used in the United States with the British participle 'got', rather than 'gotten'! Americans will also use 'have got to' in the sense of 'have to' for responsibilities.
I've got to work tomorrow.
I've got three friends in Dallas.

Vocabulary

The largest differences between British and American English lie 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)
American English: Don't be so mean to your sister!
British English: She's so mean she won't even pay for a cup of tea.
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 - truckBritish 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.

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.

Native Speaker Mistakes

Native speakers often say things that don't follow the rules of standard English. This is due to regional variation, changes in formality and personal preference. Here are three typical native speaker 'mistakes':

1. Using 'innit' for every question tag

Native speakers sometimes use 'innit' instead of question tags. 'innit' is a corruption of 'isn't it', which is just one type of question tag. Question tags in positive sentences should be formed by taking the main verb and making it negative.

• "It was quite a good match, innit?"
• Correction: "It was quite a good match, wasn't it?"

Go here for more information of question tags.

2. there/their/they're

When writing, native speakers sometimes use the wrong version of the words there/their/they're. This is because they are pronounced in exactly the same way. 

• A: Look over their! They're dog has just stolen that woman's shopping.
  B: Ha! There going to be so angry when they catch it.
• Correction: A: Look over there! Their dog has just stolen that woman's shopping.
  B: Ha! They're going to be so angry when they catch it.

3. Using 'what' as a relative pronoun

Native speakers sometimes us what as a relative pronoun instead of who, which or, that.

• Do you have the item what I ordered yesterday?
• Correction: Do you have the item which/that I ordered yesterday?