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Linguistic Features of African American Language. 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.
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Examples: Hehappy. Shealways sad. Theycrazy. Weusually funny. Youweird. 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. Present Tense Copula Verb
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. Third Person Singular - Present Tense
Examples: 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 “always,” “usually,” “often.” Durative Be
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 Auxiliary Verb
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. Past Tense Marker “ed”
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. Plural 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. Possessive Marker
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. Indefinite Article
Examples: You don’t have none. They can’t go nowhere. He wouldn’tnever 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. Multiple Negation
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. Its
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. Topicalization
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. Same Voiced Consonant Clusters
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. /th/ Sound
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. /r/ and /er/ Sounds
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.” /l/ Sound
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”). AAL Homonyms
