British (BrE) and American (AmE) usage (prepositions) |
There are some differences between British and American usage in this area. Here’s the summary:
- at vs. on the weekend
- AmE speakers prefer on the weekend, BrE speakers prefer at the weekend
- from … to / until vs. through
- to express the beginning and end of a period of time, AmE speakers prefer through as in, e.g.:
The shop is open Monday through Saturday
but BrE speakers prefer either from … to or from …until / till as in:
The shop is open from Monday to Saturday
The shop is open from Monday until Saturday - in vs. for ages
- After a negative, AmE speakers prefer in + the time period:
I haven’t seen the movie in years
BrE speakers prefer for + the time period:
I haven’t see the film for years - in vs. on the street
- AmE users prefer on:
They live on Washington Street
BrE users prefer in:
They live in Nelson Street - out and out of
- Both varieties use out informally as a preposition rather than out of but AmE also more frequently uses out adverbially as a synonym for outside:
AmE will usually prefer:
He threw it out the window
It’s raining out
BrE will usually prefer:
He threw it out of the window
It’s raining outside
Extra references
Aussie & British English Compared