Transcript L1 Linguistic Features

Linguistic Features of
African American Language
Present Tense Copula Verb
 Examples:
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


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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:
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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:


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She be sick.
It be broken.
He be acting crazy.
We be late to school.
My momma be at
home.
 Explanations:
 In AAL, the durative
be is used to show
an action that
doesn’t stop and that
repeats.
 In MAE, the durative
be is not used.
Instead, ongoing
action is shown
through using
phrases like
Past Tense Auxiliary Verb
 Examples:
 We was at the store.
 You was not here on
time.
 They was playing
around.
 Was you there last
night?
 What was you
doing?
 Explanations:
 In AAL, the past
tense auxiliary verb
is regular (it doesn’t
change) and is
always “was.”
 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 twentyfive 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
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:

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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
/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”).