1 Variation in English Grammar Linda Thomas U210A Chapter 6

2 VARIETIES OF ENGLISH Standard and nonstandard English – Standard English: in schools, in the media and codified in dictionaries and grammars. It’s associated with middle class or educated speakers. – Standard Englishes: Differences are few and easy to identify. – Nonstandard-English varieties: Have much greater regional variation. – Standard English and nonstandard English: more similarities than differences

3 Geographical varieties of English: – Local geographical variation: Even in relatively limited geographical areas. – Social factors people of higher social status tend to use fewer local forms of language. – Context important: formal/ non-formal occasions. Standard English – as a basis of description: Defining different varieties Focusing on different grammatical features VARIETIES OF ENGLISH

4 THE VERB PHRASE Differences in verb forms: – Different varieties of English several forms of verbs: (south-west England: I loves, we loves…; East Anglia: I love, he love…). – nonstandard varieties of English: not been codified, processes of language change continues – (he/she/it love: loss of inflection). – Other varieties show differences in the present-tense verb forms: Singaporean English: third-person marker is usually absent: he love. – There are other differences in other verb forms: strong verb vs. weak verbs: Irish English: (break broke broke).

5 – Tense and aspect: Tense: – Any inflected forms of a verb that indicates the time, past, present, or future, as well as the continuance or completion of the action or state. Aspect: – A category of the verb relating the action to the passage of time, especially in reference to completion, duration, or repetition. (American Heritage Dic.): Progressive and perfective Tense and time: – No firm relationship in English differs in different varieties of English. THE VERB PHRASE

6 the tense/aspect system in English – not the same for all the speakers. – Different elements of verb structures present in different combinations to signify different meanings. Some structures are exclusive to nonstandard varieties and they create meanings which are not available in a similar form in the standard. THE VERB PHRASE

7 THE NOUN PHRASE Determiners: – Different usage of determiners in Scottish (p.242). Pronouns: – some traditional dialects of English have retained singular thou, – other use an alternative plural form of ‘yous’, or ‘y’all’ as in southern states of USA.

8 SENTENCE STRUCTURE – Usual sentence construction in English SVO other constructions are possible for special effects, e.g. – VSO: Am I bored! – here comes Jo. – The dummy subject: ‘there is…’; ‘it’s raining’ Some varieties use the sing form: there is many people… It-clefting or left dislocation – It is fish that Jo loves.

9 PROCESS AFFECTING VARIATION OF ENGLISH – Several reasons for variation: historical, geographical, social and linguistic (functional). – Nonstandard varieties may have continued a process of change that has been frozen or slowed by standardization: use of thou. – Migration: distribution of different forms. – Impact of local languages: Irish English; Indian English, etc. – Overextension of a particular construction: I was knowing it.