Development of English 6 Pronunciation, grammar, recent developments

Punctuation Honorifics: –Mr. / Mr Dr. / Dr Prof. / Prof Dates –May 31 st 2007, May 31, 2007, 31/5/07, 5/31/07 Addresses –21, Green Street, LONDON N.W.3. –The Edinburgh Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge CB2 2RU Entries in bibliographies –Titles of books: italics or underlined? –Articles: in quotation marks or not?

What punctuation did we find? Honorifics? Dates? Addresses?

Lists I need to buy salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar You can get in touch with people in various ways: by writing a letter; by sending an ; by talking on the telephone; by ‘chatting’ on the Web…. Direct speech: “Oh yes!” she said. ‘Oh yes!’ she said. She said: “Oh yes!” She said: ‘Oh yes!’ - Oh yes!

Distinctive aspects of English morphology and syntax very little inflection  significance of word order functions of prepositions ’s genitive vs. of operator verbs be, do, have inversion for question forms negative verb forms with do modal verbs

Some changes in PDE The use of get for progressive action and passive Increasing but later decreasing use of present perfect Increasing use of present progressive Increasing use of phrasal verbs …but will such trends continue? Or reverse?

Recent changes / trends in PDE (Limited) trend towards simplification in spelling and grammar More permissive view of what is acceptable Enormous expansion of vocabulary Standardization for the sake of international comprehensibility Development of varieties of English side by side with development of ELF

Varieties of English British varieties versus American varieties Pidgins, creoles.

Differences between BrE and AmE Br.E includes: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Am.E includes Canada

Pronunciation

Spelling

Vocabulary

Grammar

Other varieties of English: pidgins and creoles