Linguistic Features of African American Language

Present Tense Copula Verb  Examples:  He happy.  She always sad.  They crazy.  We usually funny.  You weird.  Explanations:  In AAL, the present tense copula verb is not necessary to make a complete sentence.  In MAE, the present tense copula verb (is, am, are) is necessary to make a complete sentence.

Third Person Singular - Present Tense  Examples:  She run really fast.  He play too much.  That bird fly high.  Malik catch really well.  It ring when you push the bell.  Explanations:  In AAL, the third person singular verb is regular (it stays the same) and doesn’t need an “s,” “es,” or “ies” at the end.  In MAE, the third person singular verb must have an “s,”“es,” or “ies” added to the end.

Durative Be  Examples:  She be sick.  It be broken.  He be acting crazy.  We be late to school.  My momma be at home. EExplanations: IIn AAL, the durative be is used to show an action that doesn’t stop and that repeats. IIn MAE, the durative be is not used. Instead, ongoing action is shown through using phrases like “always,” “usually,” “often.”

Past Tense Auxiliary Verb EExamples: WWe was at the store. YYou was not here on time. TThey was playing around. WWas you there last night? WWhat was you doing? EExplanations: IIn AAL, the past tense auxiliary verb is regular (it doesn’t change) and is always “was.” IIn MAE, the past tense auxiliary verb changes with the pronouns - “they,” “we,” and “you.”

Past Tense Marker “ed”  Examples:  I cook dinner last night.  She play by herself yesterday.  We visit them last Monday.  He call us two days ago.  It pass us by earlier.  Explanations:  In AAL, the past tense marker “ed” is not necessary because past tense is usually shown through time words (like “yesterday,” “earlier,” “last week”). Also, the “- ed” sound is not always pronounced.  In MAE, the past tense marker “ed” is necessary with regular verbs when you use them in the past tense.

Plural Marker  Examples:  Can I borrow twenty- five cent?  He ate thirty french fry.  There are three church in our town.  It costs a dollar and fifty cent.  I saw a lot of car.  Explanations:  In AAL, the use of the plural marker is not necessary because of the use of plural adjectives (like “twenty-five,” “three,” “a lot”).  In MAE, the use of the plural marker (“s,” “es,” and “ies”) is necessary to make most nouns plural.

Possessive Marker  Examples:  My sister bike is big.  She has her cat ball.  The boys bathroom is upstairs.  Kiechelle husband is a teacher.  The students classroom is small.  Explanations:  In AAL, the possessive marker is not necessary because ownership is shown by placing the “owner” next to the “owned object.”  In MAE, the possessive marker (‘s and s’) is to show ownership.

Indefinite Article  Examples:  I ate a apple.  The car can go 120 miles a hour.  There was a octopus in the aquarium.  She got a egg from the refrigerator.  The school had a honor roll each year.  Explanations:  In AAL, the indefinite article before any noun is always “A.”  In MAE, the indefinite article becomes “an” before nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

Multiple Negation  Examples:  You don’t have none.  They can’t go nowhere.  He wouldn’t never do that.  She wasn’t going to give us nothing.  I ain’t got no money.  Explanations:  In AAL, multiple negation is used to stress that something is negative.  In MAE, only one negative (no, nothing, not, no one) is used.

Its  Examples:  Its a bird in the room.  Its a pool back there.  Its a party going on in here.  Its a haunted house on our block.  Its a fire on the roof.  Explanations:  In AAL, its is used instead of the pronoun “there” at the beginning of the sentence.  In MAE, “there” must be used as the pronoun at the beginning of a sentence.

Topicalization  Examples:  That teacher she mean.  Her mother she pretty.  The dog it big.  Michael he funny.  That boy he crazy.  Explanations:  In AAL, emphasis on the topic of a sentence is done by following the subject noun with a subject pronoun.  In MAE, it is redundant to follow a subject noun with subject pronoun.

Same Voiced Consonant Clusters  Examples:  This is my des’.  I finished my tes’.  It sure is col’.  He was runnin’.  We cook’ dinner.  Explanations:  In AAL, when there are same voiced consonants that are next to each other (clustered), only the first one is pronounced. Also, when a same voiced consonant cluster sound is produced because of an “-ed” ending (like in “cooked”), the “-ed” is not pronounced.  In MAE, the last consonant in same voiced consonant clusters is always pronounced.

/th/ Sound  Examples:  Dis is my favorite food.  What is dat?  Dere it is!  Anfony is my friend.  My mouf hurts.  Explanations:  In AAL, the /th/ sound does not exist and is replaced with the /d/ or /f/ sounds.  In MAE, the /th/ sound is pronounced.

/r/ and /er/ Sounds  Examples:  My sistuh is nice.  Where is her brothuh?  What is yo’ name?  He has mo’ than me?  Her name is Ca’ol.  Explanations:  In AAL, the /r/ is not pronounced in some words and the /er/ sound is pronounced with the schwa sound /uh/ in some words.  In AAL, the /r/ and /er/ sounds are always pronounced.

/l/ Sound  Examples:  They ahways go on vacation.  Did you caw last night?  I wish a had a mi’’ion dollars.  That’s ah’ight with me.  Is that Mr, Russo?  Explanations:  In AAL, the /l/ sound is often pronounced with the schwa sound /ah/, a long o sound, or a /yuh/ sound.  In MAE, the /l/ sound is pronounced like the “l” in “lion.”

AAL Homonyms  Examples:  It is coal outside.  Did you fine my shoes?  What did you want me foe?  My halloween mass is scary.  That is are classroom.  Explanations:  In AAL, some AAL homonyms exist because the MAE word is pronounced like another MAE word that isn’t an MAE homonym.  In MAE, homonyms are words that sound alike, but have different meanings (like “there,” “their,” and “they’re”).