British English v. American English

Question

I am applying to both US and UK schools and something just struck me. When I write my essays for the UK schools should I actually use British English? For example, should I write "generalisation" and not "generalization"? How about "reorganisation" v. "reorganization"?:) "Favourable" v. "favorable"?

Thanks

KingKREEP · Answer

I guess as long as you don't  mix  British and American English, you should be fine.

bsd_lover · Answer

I would recommend that you use British english for the UK schools. It is pretty easy to set language settings in word.

raptr · Answer

I am writing in American English. However, in one of my essays I am discussing an elective called " Globalisation  and the Impact of Global Business". Should I just keep it this way? :)

riverripper · Answer

Use their name for classes as taken from course book/website. I would stay with your normal way of writing. I am sure they are used to Americanized spellings.

KingKREEP · Answer

I second what river said. For the course names, use the spellings used by the university brochure/website. Anyway, you are enclosing the name within double quotes. So that should be OK.

rhyme · Answer

I used British english because thats the way things should be.

dabots · Answer

go back to italy you foreigner :wink:

raptr · Answer

rhyme -- do you normally use British English, or you used it specifically for your UK applications?

KingKREEP - Actually, I  italicized  the course titles :)


Thanks all

KingKREEP · Answer

Ignore him. He's been here so long he's gone cuckoo! Just kidding! While I do differ with him on this particular topic, rhyme is  absolutely invaluable  when it comes to essays - style and content. Italicized, quotes, whatever...just do something to show that the word/phrase is different from the rest of the essay. Good luck!

rhyme · Answer

I'm actually being a bit silly. 

When writing a serious paper I (tend to) use British English because, frankly, it got beat into me while I attended a British boarding school years ago. Most of the time it just comes out on its own actually. I used it in my essays because it comes out naturally, not in fact because I think its better. The reality of it is, it doesn't make any difference at all, though certainly you should try to be consistent. Just pick whatever seems more natural to you....

My attempt at humour was actually the response my professor gave me when I complained that he had corrected various spellings in a paper i handed in... .

surrogate · Answer

Apart from the usual "or" vs "our" stuff, there are many cultural differences. Eddie Izzard captures this with a tongue in cheek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0onquIv89g

raptr · Answer

rhyme -- It is funny you should say that. I am not a native speaker and being from Europe I first learned British English. Then, when I came to the States for college, my English Comp professor would always correct my British spellings.

togafoot · Answer

I correct everyones English in the office. I make it British (Commonwealth) English :D... including the Americans in the office.
I go by the stance of Documentation -> Commonwealth English, Code -> American English.

kryzak · Answer

I still spell things like "travelling" and "daemon" the British way... for some strange reason.

rhyme · Answer

eddie izzard rocks. For the record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4 I've actually use the "lie-zure" in my day to day language...

aaudetat · Answer

when i lived in france, I had to take English...as in ESL english...hurray for lockstep nationalized education! Anyway, my professor, who was french, would correct my stuff to make it english. whatever.

British English v. American English

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