| Use of Present Perfect | |
| American English | British English |
| Prefer Simple Past Tense They just arrived home. We just finished our meal. Perfect Tense "Have" They have most likely landed by now. | Prefer Present Perfect Tense They have just arrived home. We have just finished our meal. Perfect Tense "Have" They most likely have landed by now. |
| Use of subjunctive. [It’s Necessary/ essential / vital / urgent / imperative… that + (hidden should) + verb] | |
| American English | British English |
| It’s essential that she be told the truth. It’s vital that you be taken to hospital. It’s important that Tom stop smoking. | It’s essential that she should be told the truth. It’s vital that you should be taken to hospital. It’s important that Tom should stop smoking. |
| Asking for the person on the phone | |
| American English | British English |
| Hello, is this Jack? | Hello, is that Jack? |
| Use of look like /as If | |
| American English | British English |
| He looks like he is an expert. | He looks as if / like an expert. |
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