Linguistic Features ofAfrican 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.
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.”
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
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”).