Introduction to the study of Varieties of Present-Day EnglishLecture 6Social and functional-stylistic varieties

Back to Standard English GrammarCorrect the following Romenglish sentences:Do you know to drive a car? Dont make me to cry. A laughter is a useful medicine. Dan has come to Suceava for four months. (two possibilities)Of the two brothers John is the oldest.

He hates me, isnt it? The Dambovita River, a tributary to the Danube, it runs through Bucharest. He is earning fewer money than he was ten years ago. No one likes children which are rude and boisterous Why dont you think at a better solution?

Note:

For British vs. American English see:

http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=152820http://www.1-language.com/articles/differences-between-british-and-american-englishhttp://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/usgbintr.html

Black English a socio-ethnic variety

Other names:Black Vernacular English (BEV)African American English (AAE)AAVE (African American Vernacular English)EbonicsNote: vernacular =1. the native (indigenous) speech or language of a place 2. the plain variety of language in everyday use by ordinary people

When I born, I Black, When I grow up, I Black, When I go in Sun, I Black, When I am cold, I Black, When I scared, I Black, When I sick, I Black, And when I die, I still black.

And you White fella, When you born, you Pink, When you go in Sun, you Red, When you cold, you Blue, When you scared, you Yellow, When you sick, you Green, And when you die, you Gray. And you calling me Colored ?

Black English (BlE) - an ethnic or socio-ethnic variety of the language, defined by the social position and education of its speakers. That is, BlE is the nonstandard E. used by some blacks in the US. Note: When blacks use standard E., it has no distinguishing label. When whites use non-standard E., it is called simply nonstandard E., not white E.

Theories:(The first black people arrived in Virginia in 1619.)The factors that led to the systematic differences between BlE and other American dialects - various theories:(1) The African slaves learned E from their colonial masters as a second language;(2) (a theory which is receiving increasing support) Many features are traceable to influences of the African languages spoken by the slaves-->BlE is a creole of West African languages and English;(3) Some investigators have suggested affinities with Irish E. brought about by early contact of black slaves with early settlers in the Caribbean and the southern United States.(4) The historical separation of whites and blacks (similar to separation of geographic dialects)Probably all these factors contribute to the formation of BlE.

The lexiconFor the most part, the lexicon of BlE is identical to that of SE. (BlE contributed a number of words and idiomatic expressions: okra, yam, jazz, rap - ME rappe, akin to Sw. rappa, to beat, G. rappeln to rattle) --> We'll discuss only phonology and grammar.

PhonologyConsonantsBlE is non-rhotic (= r-less), but intrusive and linking /r/ are not typical. In extreme cases, loss of /r/ may even extend to position between vowels---> Harold and Hal, carrot and cat may become homophonous.In a development parallel to the loss or vocalization of /r/, /l/ in preconsonantal position may be vocalized to a high back unrounded vowel/uu/ ---> help, silk; in final position /l/ may be lost entirely---> tall, goalThe simplification (reduction) of consonantal clusters, primarily at the end of words: missed /mis/, band /b n/, talks (t k/

Note:When the two consonants of the cluster differ in voicing, the cluster is more likely to be retained. That is, while send may be /sin/, rent will often be /rin?/ (with a glottal stop as an allophone of /t/; thumbs may contrast with thump as/m/ and /mp/, respectively.As is true of some other English dialects, the interdental fricatives frequently suffer in BlE. In general, they tend to become the stops /t/ and /d/ at the beginning of words, and, in extreme cases, they become the labiodental fricatives /f/ and /v/ in medial and final position. Thus, them /dim/, but something /smfin/ and soothe /suv/.-Like many E dialects, BlE has /in/ in the unstressed participial and gerund ending -ing.

VowelsThey are much like those of Southern Americans. In particular, both /ai/ and /oi/ tend to be monopthongized: buy /ba:/, toy /to:/. As the transcriptions of sent and rent above indicate, the distinction between /i/ and /e/ is neutralized before nazal consonants.Prosodynot extensively studied. Tendency to move the major stress of words to initial syllable, as in defense, Detroit, police. Such front-shifting of stress has been a characteristic of English (and German) throughout the centuries.Impressionistically, wider pitch range...

GrammarFeatures shared by other dialects of nonstandard E.:the use of multiple negation He don't never say anythingredundant subjects: My brother, he took me deviant verb forms She begun working just yesterday; use of a instead of an: You want a orange.deviant prepositional usage: different to me; married with him

use of ain't rather than haven't/hasn't as an auxiliary: I ain't been told; They aint never come backomission of the have auxiliary in perfect tenses: We been eating popcorn; He seen that before.(In the last case it may also be the non-standard past of see)inversion after an interrogation adverb that introduces a subordinate clause: He asked me when did I come.

Loss of inflections:esp. of the plural marker -s when meaning is clear: I got three sisterdeletion of possessive marker if redundant:That Jim bike. This you hat? (but not: This hat you?)3rd pers. sing. pres. -s: She make me breakfast every morningpast endings: He talk to me last week(That does not mean these categories are absent. The same speaker may say Yesterday I walk home and also Yesterday I went home, not "I go". The /t/ of walked is often dropped for phonological reasons.)

Omission of be - characteristic of Black English: He tired. He talking now. We going home(But: Can you tell me where I am? - if necessary)Note:invariant, uninflected be - repeated or continuing actions: He be grouchyno be - true at the moment of speaking: He grouchy.

Recent vs. remote past:That cat done bit me (=just bit me)He done broke the jar.but:That been gone. (distant past)

Functional-stylistic varieties(Field + Medium + Tenor)

Martin Joos speaks of five styles:intimatecasualconsultativeformalfrozen

Example (Situation: parent speaking to child who is embarrassingly present):intimateOut!casualRun along, now!consultativeWould you mind leaving room a moment?formalThe audience is required to kindly leave the room for a few moments.frozen(?/*)The management respectfully requests the conferees to vacate the auditorium between sessions in order to facilitate the operations of the custodial stuff.

Practice: A. Arrange the following sentences in the order suggested above:Would you be so kind as to pass me the salt, please?Would you pass me the salt, please?Wheres the salt?Id like some salt.Patrons are respectfully reminded that in view of the unavoidably limited accommodations and the managements sincere desire to honour the wishes of as many diners as possible, some sharing of facilities is desirable.

B. Try constructing a similar series on the themes:Please do not talk.Write to me about it.

C. Comment upon the following dialogue, in which the style in language is not used consistently:Mrs. Smith meets an acquaintance in the street:Mrs. Smith:Good morning, Mrs. Davis. How are you?Mrs. Davis:Very well, thank you.Mrs. Smith:Hows your son?Mrs. Davis:Hes O.K. now.

Registers / Functional Styles1. Unless the Office of Price Administration or an authorized representative thereof shall, by letter mailed to the applicant within 21 days from the date of filling the application, disapprove the maximum price as reported, such price shall be deemed to have been approved, subject to nonretroactive written disapproval or adjustment at any later time by the Office of Price Administration.Spoken form: You must wait three weeks before you can charge the ceiling price you applied for. The Office of Price Administration can always change the price. If they do, they will write you a letter.

2. When well softened, they /ends/ are pushed together and, the heating continued, the thickened glass being blown out a little and allowed to collapse until all the abrupt changes in thickness have been eliminated all round the joint and it is marked by a single moderately thick ring of hot glass. (E. H. Wright, Manual of Laboratory Glass Blowing, U.S., 1943, p. 46)

3. And where did you get the hundred from?I borrowed it.When?Today.Who from?A man called Davids.Money-lender?Young Jolyon bowed his head.

More practice1. SPOKEN VERSUS WRITTEN STYLETurn the following example of spoken English into more formal, written English, incorporating relative clauses where appropriate. The beginning has been done for you."I've started a new job, did I tell you? It's a sales representative with a company. It produces garden funiture., 'Sunnosit', it's called, and it's based in Thornton. Thornton is a small town in the Midlands. The area manager is due to return next year - he's been with the company for over thirty years. This means, if I do well, I might get this job. One great advantage is having a company car. Well, I have to have a company car, because the job involves visiting different parts of the country. My colleagues are quite ambitious - I get on well with them, but it means the atmosphere at work is rather competitive. I don't mind. Apart from that, the job's fine."The job that I have recently started is as a sales representative with a company that.............. (Source Headway Upper-Interm. Workbook, p.46)

2. GUESSING UNKNOWN WORDSRead the following text loudly and clearly without a dictionary, and without asking any questions. Then write down all the words and expressions in italics, and any others that you do not know. Look carefully at the context of each unknown word or expression, and write down what you think it might mean.DrummingDrumming is what you might call basic burglary. You pick a dead gaff a house you know or think is empty sound the drum by knocking at the front door to make sure, stroll round the back, get in through a window and turn the place over.The average suburban house is a pushover to enter. You dont need to carry any tools.

... Joe worked on an unvarying schedule. Once inside, he bolted all doors, leaving one ground-floor window open, thus, like a wise general, securing his retreat. It seldom took him more than four minutes to go through the house. He took only easily portable stuff, jewellery, ornaments, cash, if there was any; he seldom bothered with clothes unless there was an exceptionally good fur coat.He would leave by the front door, taking his time and emerging hat in hand, still carrying on an imaginary conversation, for the benefit of passers-by. Little details that the average drummer never bothered about were very important to him. Never wear your hat while moving about in a strange house...

For the most part my job was to sit in the front room and keep my eyes glued to the gate while Joe turned over upstairs. This gave us an extra few seconds in which to take stoppo if the householder did come back while we were still on the premises.Joe used to maintain that there was no reason why a two-handed team of drummers should ever get nicked. He may have been right at that. He and I grafted together for the best part of four years and, though we had some narrow squeaks, we never got pinched. A lot of the time we were drumming three times a week, changing our manor each time, averaging between thirty and fifty pounds a week.A steady but not spectacular tax-free income for two men.From Changes in the Organization of Thieving by Mary McIntosh (in Swan, Michael, Inside Meaning. Proficiency Reading Comprehension, CUP, 1975:22-23)

Read these sentences carefully, and then rewrite them in as few words as possible (between two and ten) without really changing the meaning:1. If I were asked to give an accurate description of my physical condition at the present moment, the only possible honest reply would be that I am greatly in need of liquid refreshment.2. People whose professional activity lies in the field of politics are not, on the whole, conspicuous for their respect for factual accuracy.3. I must confess to a feeling of very considerable affection for the young female person with whom I spend the greater part of my spare time.4. Failure to assimilate an adequate quantity of solid food over an extended period of time is absolutely certain to lead, in due course, to a fatal conclusion.

5. It is by no means easy to achieve an accurate understanding of that subject of study which is concerned with the relationship between numbers.6. It is my fervent wish that the creator of the universe will do his utmost to preserve and protect the royal lady who graciously occupies the position of head of state.7. I should be greatly obliged if you would have the kindness to bring me, at your convenience, a written statement of the indebtedness I have incurred in connection with the meal which you have just finished serving to me.8. I should be grateful if you would be so good as to stop the uninterrupted flow of endless remarks with which you are currently straining my patience to breaking point.

Happy holidays!

HAPPY HOLIDAYHappy holiday,Happy holiday.While the merry bells keep ringing,May your every wish come true.Happy holiday,Happy holiday.May the calendar keep bringingHappy holiday to you.

Special in-class work: Rewrite the following letters written by some American third-graders to Santa Claus. Use standard English spelling, please!Dear Santa,How are you doing? I am doing good. Will you get me skies and boxin gluvs and candy and toys and if I thing of enything else I'll let you no.Love Patty

Dear Santa,Santa this may sownd a litel okwerd to you but a wont a computer and a club like captin caivmans. Oh by the way this will be my last leter to you all be nine next year and wont beleve in Santa Claus.P.S. But I beleve in Santa Claus this year!Love, Jeff

Dear Santa,Plese bring me a baby bruthr for Christmas. My dad says you dont have babees at the North Pole and maybe you will bring me a puppy insted. Id rather have a baby bruthr. P.s. You can bring a pupy to if you want to.Luv, Tim

Dear Santa Claus,I hope you have a nise Christmas. I hope you got a lot of toys becuse there are going to be a lot of chilren hear. I hope I can see you on christmas eve. I hope we get a new christmas tree insted of a new baby lak last year.Love, Kathleen

Dear Santa Claus,I hope you have a nise Christmas. I hope you got a lot of toys becuse there are going to be a lot of chilren hear. I hope I can see you on christmas eve. I hope we get a new christmas tree insted of a new baby lak last year.Love, Kathleen

Dear SandaclawsBring same list as lazt year but bringit this tyme. Brian on Peach StreetDear Santa, My mummy says I can have a doll that eats and drinks and cries but duznt know how to wet.Love, Annie

Dear SandaclawsBring same list as lazt year but bringit this tyme. Brian on Peach StreetDear Santa, My mummy says I can have a doll that eats and drinks and cries but duznt know how to wet.Love, Annie

Dear Santa Clas,Whin you com to our hose don't com down our chemny becuz it gos to the furnis and you will burn up! Here are the drekshuns Cum to the front dor and my dad will let you in.Your friend Francis

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!