Would do

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My sons and I are fans of British television shows and recently have begun watching BBC America. I've noticed that there appears to be a tendency among the English to use phrases like "I would have done" or "I might do" where Americans would say "I would have" or "I might." Would the American phrase sound odd to English ears?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]My sons and I are fans of British television shows and recently have begun watching BBC America. I've noticed that ... do" where Americans would say "I would have" or "I might." Would the American phrase sound odd to English ears?[/nq]
I can't say I really noticed this as a widespread tendency during many years living in Britain. The American phrases sound quite natural to me, although i context the other phrases would also sound natural.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]My sons and I are fans of British television shows and recently have begun watching BBC America. I've noticed that ... do" where Americans would say "I would have" or "I might." Would the American phrase sound odd to English ears?[/nq]
30 or 40 years ago I think I would have answered that "I would have" and "Imight" are correct educated English, whereas "I would have done" and "I might do" are uneducated forms. The reason being simply that "done" and "do" are redundant.
Today things are, I think, much less clear-cut. People who use the "done and "do" version might find the other versions a little odd because, to them, they are incomplete.
There are very many styles and varieties of British English, most of which never find their way on to BBC America.
In Britain and Ireland we see a large number of American TV programs (on our main networks). This gives us considerable exposure to the types of American English that are used in American networked TV shows. I imagine there are many localised styles of American speech that never get on to networked TV because "no one" would be able to understand them.

Peter Duncanson
UK
(posting from u.c.l.e)

Would do

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