806007430 Hassan Basarally LING 6402

Name: Hassan Basarally

ID: 806007430

Course: LING 6402- World Englishes

Lecturer: Dr. J. S. Ferreira

Assignment: Assignment 2: Trinidadian and Tobagonian English Creole have been

analysed and described, and reasonably well-documented. Trinidadian and Tobagonian

English, standard and non-standard dialects, have been less well-described. Describe the

features of non-standard English in Trinbagonian speech, towards a preliminary

definition of non-standard Trinbagonian English.

Faculty: Humanities and Education

Department: Liberal Arts

Semester and Year: Semester 2, 2009-2010

University: University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Date Due: 22/04/2010

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A description of Non-Standard Trinbagonian English (Non-Std. TE) requires an

examination of the morpho-syntactic features of the variety. A language or variety also

has unique phonological and lexical features but these features have little impact on the

description of Non-standard Trinbagonian English. Lexicon is borrowed from other

languages regularly, making the lexicon of a particular variety not necessarily specific. In

addition, the phonology and accent of a dialect does not affect its morpho-syntax, hence

the only way to accurately describe Non-Std. TE is to identify morpho-syntactic features

inclusive of clause structures and tense that is different for Standard Trinbagonian

English (STE).

The identification of non-standard features can be approached through two ways:

the identification of vernacular universals and the defining of Standard English to

determine which morpho-syntactic features do not fit the definition. The concept of the

existence of vernacular universals proposed by Chambers is controversial. These

features are: conjugation regularisation or levelling of irregular verb forms, default

singulars or subject-verb non-concord, multiple negations or negative concord and copula

absence (Kortmann and Szmrecsanyi, 3). Amongst the problems with vernacular

universals is that the features proposed by Chambers are not universal to Anglophone

languages, much less in all languages. Kortmann and Szmrecsanyi also point out that the

proposed universals can be candidates for language universals as a whole and the

universals do not take into account the instances of language contact (5). Language

contact is relevant to describing Non-Std. TE as it exists with other varieties and Creoles.

Trudgill identifies eight features of Standard English. In stating the features the

distinction was made that Standard English was not a language, accent, style or register.

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The features of Standard English according to Trudgill are: no distinction between the

auxiliary forms of do and its main verb form, the third person singular is marked,

reflexive pronouns based on reflexive pronouns, no distinction between second person

singular and plural pronouns, irregular forms of the verb to be in the present and past

tense, distinguishing of the preterit and perfect verb forms and the use of this and that to

contrast the demonstrative system.

Through the use of the vernacular universals of Chambers and Trudgill’s features

of Standard English, Non-Std. TE would be expected to have the majority of twelve

features. The features were then compared to Hickey’s checklist of nonstandard features

(600).

Non-Standard Trinbagonian English has some distinct features in morphology

especially in noun plurals, pronouns, verb forms, modals and adverbs. Non-Std. TE

possesses both unmarked plurals and unmarked genitive. The unmarked plurals occur

when a singular noun form is accompanied by a numeral e.g. I would like to get five

pound of cucumber. The unmarked genitive is used when the two nouns are next to each

other e.g. Can you bring Kevin pen for me please?

The pronoun system of Non-Std. TE contains second person plural pronouns, uses

objective forms for the subject and personal pronouns as demonstratives. The use of

second person plural pronouns is common amongst other non-standard varieties. The

form appears in TEC and Tob.EC as allyuh. In Non-Std. TE the pronoun can be seen in

you all and you people. When the objective form of the pronoun is used in the subject

position the word us is usually used. An example of teh use of the object from is Us

constituents can no longer tolerate the neglect of our Member of Parliament. Personal

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pronouns in Non-Std. TE can also be used as demonstrative pronouns e.g. Them boys on

the corner are too idle.

The verb forms of Non-Std TE are demonstrated by the reduction in the number

of verb forms, copula and auxiliary deletion, future negation expression of the passive

voice and phrasal verbs. Verb forms are reduced when the past participle is used as a

preterit. The reduction is clearly seen in the verb do e.g. I done the work. The copula or

auxiliary deletion can be seen in sentences such as I’m paying cash. Future negation is

done with the separate word not as in I’ll not do it. The passive of Non-Std. TE is

expressed with get e.g. His car got stolen last week. Phrasal verbs occur when

prepositional adverbs appear without verbs, off occurs often e.g. I’m off.

The use of modals in Non-Std. TE does not maintain a clear distinction between

could and can and would and will. Therefore a sentence such as I would talk to you

tomorrow is common. The order of adverbials also differs from Standard Trinbagonian

English, usually the order of adverbials in place, manner and time (Hickey, 605). In Non-

Std. TE there can be time manner and place as in She left this morning in the taxi to

work. Done is given an adverbial function of expressing perfect tense e.g. Are you done

wasting time?

Distinct syntactic features of Non-Std. TE are illustrated in the use of articles,

presupposed versus specific usage, the use of on to express relevance, the use of never,

and the comparative and superlative. Articles can be used generically e.g. He asked the

both of them. Articles in standard varieties of English can be divided into definite and

indefinite, but in Non-Std. TE there is the division of the asserted and presupposed. The

presupposed is the understood article so it can be omitted e.g. Doubles tasted really

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good. The article the can be placed at the beginning of the sentence but is omitted. The

asserted is used for emphasis and specifity e.g. At the stall I bought one soda water. The

word one is asserted and specifies the amount bought. According to Hickey (607), on is

used to “indicate that an action was relevant to someone.” An example is They broke the

bottle on my car. Never in Non-is Std. TE used with a reference to a single point in time

e.g. He never came home yesterday. Comparatives can be formed with the addition of

more before the adjective e.g. more sick. Superlatives can be forms with the addition of –

most e.g. The book is on the topmost shelf.

The clause structure of Non-Std. TE exhibits negative concord. The negative

concord is seen in sentences with multiple negations, for example I never saw nothing.

Concord is not applied to the auxiliary be e.g. They was going to buy the house. Tense

has the use of the present tense for the perfect tense e.g. I know her since she was a child.

There is the presence of negative concord or multiple negations e.g. He never told

nobody.

Several approaches can be used to reach a preliminary definition of Non-standard

Trinbagonian English (Non-Std. T E). Firstly, the concept of standard and non-standard

must be examined. Non-Std. T E can be compared and contrasted to features of Trinidad

English Creole (TEC). Finally, there is the question of whether Non-Std. T E is TEC with

more standard features. Before defining Non-Std. TE, it is worth noting some positions

on the concept of standardness. Truggill prefers the differentiation of high and low

contact verities of English (Kortmann and Szmrecsanyi, 9). Non-Std. TE would be

characterises as a high contact variety exhibiting processes of simplification.

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In Trinidad and Tobago, Standard Trinbagonian English (STE), Non-Standard

Trinbagonian English, Trinidad English Creole (TEC) and Tobagonian English Creole

(Tob.EC) are spoken by the majority of people. It is possible that features of the Creoles

can be confused as non-standard English features.

Works Cited