1

Varieties of English Andrei Avram

Non-standard English English II: grammar 1 Most widespread grammatical features Cheshire et al. (1989 and 1993), Cheshire (1998), Crystal (2005) 1.1 Them as demonstrative adjective 97.7% (1) Look at them big spiders. 1. Should of 92.0% (2) You should of left half an hour ago. 1.! Never as past tense negator 86.2% (3) No, I never broke that. 1." A#sence of plural mar$ing on nouns of measurement 86.2% (4) To make a big cake you need two pound of flour. 1.% What as relative pronoun 86.2% (5) The film what was on last night. 1.& There was with plural su#ject 85.1% (6) There was some singers here a minute ago. 1.' Theres with plural su#ject 83.9% (7) Theres cars outside the church. 1.( Sat as present participle 83.9% (8) She was sat over there looking at her car. 1.) Was as plural form of au*iliar+ 83.9% (9) We was singing. 1.1, Quick as adver# 82.8% (10) It cooks really quick. 1.11 Aint - int 82.8% (11) That aint / int working. 1.1 Stood as present participle 80.5% (12) e was stood in the corner.

2 .ther grammatical features Upt n et al. (1994), !iere"# et al. (2002), $ritain et al. (2005), Crystal (2005), %r&d'ill et al. (2005), ( '' (2008), Upt n (2008) .1 /ersonal pronouns .1.1 Us as first person singular o#ject ) rth*eastern +n'lish (13) e deliberately tripped us as I was walking down the corridor. .1. Us as first person singular indirect o#ject ,&tside n rth*eastern +n'land (14) !o us a favour. .1.! /ronoun e*change - &th*.estern +n'lish, /est 0idlands (15) Her told I. 1-he t ld 2e.3 . 0efle*ive pronouns . .1 All forms #ased on the possessives (16) a. hisself 4. theirselves . . 1he suffi* -sen ) rthern +n'lish, espe"ially 5 r#shire +n'lish (17) hissen .! 0elative pronouns .!.1 2u#ject (18) a. That was the man what done it. 4. That was the man which done it. ". That was the man as done it. d. That was the man at done. e. That was the man done it. .!. /ossessive (19) a. That"s the man what his son done it. 4. This is the man thats son done it. ." /resent tense forms .".1 A#sence of !rd sg. -s (20) a. It !o very fast. 4. e dont like it.

.". 3enerali4ation of -s - &th*.estern +n'lish, ) rthern +n'lish (21) a. I likes it. 4. You throws it. ". We goes home. .".! Northern 2u#ject 0ule !er4s in the present tense 2ay ta#e *s, e6"ept .hen ad7a"ent t a pers nal pr n &n. ) rthern +n'lish (22) a. I sing and dances. 4. They peel them and boils them. ". The cats purrs. ."." 2outhern 2u#ject 0ule 8n9le"ti nal *s is 2 re " 22 n .hen the :er4 is ad7a"ent t a pers nal pr n &n than .hen ad7a"ent t a 9&ll n &n phrase. +ast ;n'lia +n'lish (23) a. It purrs. 4. The cat purr. .".! 5istinction #etween the full ver# do and au*iliar+ do - &th*.estern +n'lish, ) rthern +n'lish (24) e dos <d&=>? it every day, do he# .% 1he past tense of irregular ver#s .%.1 1he past participle used as the past tense form (25) a. come come come 4. see seen seen .%. 1he past tense used as the past participle (26) a. go went went 4. write wrote wrote .%.! 1he present tense used as the past tense (27) a. give !ive given 4. see see seen .%." Irregular ver#s made regular (28) draw drawed drawed

4 .%.% 2implification and comple*ification of ver#al paradigms: %yneside +n'lish (29) do done done get got !etten give !ive !ive go went went say sa"ed sa"ed see seen saw speak spoke spoke take took took treat tret tret .%.& 1he past tense of the full ver# do and of au*iliar+ do (30) a. 9&ll :er4= do done 4. a&6iliary= do did .& 1he comparative and the superlative .&.1 5ou#le comparatives - superlatives (31) a. She"s more rougher than he is. 4. e"s the most roughest bloke I"ve ever met. .&. .veruse of -er - -est (32) a. You ought to be carefuller. 4. She"s the beautifullest woman I know. .' /repositions .'.1 /repositions of place (33) a. It was at London. 4. We walked down the shops. ". We went up the park. .'. Addition of a preposition (34) I got off of the bus. ! 2+ntactic dou#ling in the 6ritish Isles C rri'an (2006), @ rt2ann et al. (2005), @ rt2ann and ->2re"sanyi (2006), ( '' (2008) !.1 0esumptive pronouns in relative clauses $ lt n +n'lish (35) The old lady her as had it were busy dishing them out. 1%he ld lady .h .ned it .as 4&sy ser:in' the2.3 ) rthern C &nties (36) That"s the chap that his uncle was drowned. 1%hat3s the "hap .h se &n"le .as dr .ned.3

5 !. Ver# dou#ling +ast - 2erset +n'lish (37) We did come back then and we did have a glass or two of cider. 1/e "a2e 4a"# then and .e had a 'lass r t. 9 "ider.3 /est - 2erset +n'lish (38) We do #reed our own cows$ 1/e 4reed &r .n " .s.3 (ere9 rdshire +n'lish (39) I thought you did mean a rubber$ 18 th &'ht y & 2eant a r&44er.3 /iltshire +n'lish (40) %ohn did see it last night. 1A hn sa. it last ni'ht.3 !.! 75ou#le8 modals $ lt n +n'lish (41) Theaw must ave for t" be clever for t" go to t" university. 15 & ha:e t 4e "le:er in rder t ' &ni:ersity.3 %yneside +n'lish (42) e wouldnt could have worked even if you had asked him. 1(e . &ldn3t ha:e 4een a4le t . r# e:en i9 y & had as#ed hi2.3 ) rth 9 +n'land (43) I mi!ht could get it changed$ 18 " &ld 'et it "han'ed.3 !." Multiple negation - &thern $ritish +n'lish (44) e couldnt find none nowhere. 1(e " &ldn3t 9ind any any.here.3 $ lt n +n'lish (45) I"m not never going to do nowt no more for thee. 1832 n t e:er ' in' t d anythin' 9 r y &.3 %yneside +n'lish (46) I divvent know nowt else. 18 d n3t #n . anythin' else.3 !.% 5ou#le conjunctions $ lt n +n'lish (47) We"re going e$cept if it"s raining. 1/e3re ' in' &nless it3s rainin'.3 !.& As what - than what in comparative clauses - &th*east 9 +n'land (48) a. &um was as bad as what he was. 4. e"s about eight years younger than what I am$ 1(e3s a4 &t ei'ht years y &n'er than 8 a2.3

6 0eferences
$ritain, B., @in'st n, 0., C 6, -. and $a#er, -. 2005. ; - &thern +n'lish D&leE= +ast ;n'lian e:iden"e 9 the )F / Fr " nstraint. 0an&s"ript. Cheshire, A. 1998. Gess ns 9r 2 a s&r:ey 9 $ritish diale"t 'ra22ar. Links ' Letters 5= 61*73. Cheshire, A., +d.ards, !. and /hittle, F. 1989. Ur4an $ritish diale"t 'ra22ar= %he H&esti n 9 diale"t le:elin'. (nglish World)Wide 10= 185*225. Cheshire, A., +d.ards, !. and /hittle, F. 1993. ) n*standard +n'lish and diale"t le:elin'. 8n A. 0ilr y and G. 0ilr y (eds.), *eal (nglish+ The grammar of (nglish dialects in the ,ritish Isles , 53*96. G nd n and )e. 5 r#= G n'2an. C rri'an, @. 2006. 0i'ht " &ld +n'lish 4e 1d &4le*B&t"h3 t E= d &4lin' and the synta"ti" atlas 9 $ritish 8sles diale"ts. Faper presented at -ynta"ti" B &4lin' in +&r pean Biale"ts / r#sh p, 0ar"h 16*18, 2006, 0eertens 8nstit&te, ;2sterda2. Crystal, B. 2005. The stories of (nglish. G nd n= Fen'&in $ #s. ( '', D. 2008. +n'lish in $ritain. 8n D. ( '' and B. Benis n (eds.), - history of the (nglish language, 352*383. Ca24rid'e= Ca24rid'e Uni:ersity Fress. @ rt2ann, $., (err2ann, %., Fiets"h, G., /a'ner, -. 2005. - comparative grammar of ,ritish (nglish dialects$ -greement, gender, relative clauses. $erlin I )e. 5 r#. @ rt2ann, $., ->2re"sanyi, $. 2006. 0 rph synta"ti" d &4lin' in n n*standard :arieties 9 +n'lish. Faper presented at -ynta"ti" B &4lin' in +&r pean Biale"ts / r#sh p, 0ar"h 16*18, 2006, 0eertens 8nstit&te, ;2sterda2. %r&d'ill, F., (&'hes, ;. and /att, B. 2005. (nglish accents and dialects . -n introduction to social and regional varieties of (nglish in the ,ritish Isles, 9 &rth editi n. G nd n= ( dder +d&"ati n. Upt n, C. 2008. 0 dern re'i nal +n'lish in the $ritish 8sles. 8n G. 0&''lest ne (ed.), The ./ford history of (nglish, 305*333. ,69 rd= ,69 rd Uni:ersity Fress. Upt n, C., Farry, B. and /idd .s n, A. B. ;. 1994. Survey of (nglish dialects$ The dictionary and grammar. G nd n= D &tled'e.