Teacher Discussion Forums

I have noticed a marked increase of "is" used with you and "they", and of "have" used with "he", "she" and "it" among new students while "are" and "has" used with wrong pronouns is rare. I occasionally hear it on the radio from certain dialects of English too. "Am" always seems to be used correctly.

Are "are" and "has" beginning to disappear from the language? It would be a big change if thy are. What do the corpora suggest? (I never worked out how to use on-line corpora.)

You mean you are hearing things like, "You is tired" instead of "You are tired?" Wow, I sure don't hear that. Can you give some examples?

and of "have" used with "he", "she" and "it" among new students while "are" and "has" used with wrong pronouns is rare.

Haven't over-regulation such as 'he don't', 'she haven't' been taking place for quite a long time in (in want for a better expression) non-standard English? Althought things like the am example you gave I'd first think it would have been uttered by a non-native.

José

Everything Ali G says!

doriangray wrote:Everything Ali G says!

Many a true word is spoken in jest. I heard this exact speach pattern on radio 4 from a woman describing herself as a "British born asian". Her parents had both come from Pakistan. I teach Poles by the way, and they are doing the same.

If we cross the Atlantic, we find more or less the same patterns in black vernacular English.

Bah, read too fast again

It is common in America for AAE (African American English), which would probably be why ALi G is using it (Even though he isnt American). With the explosion in the rap culture it has affected many things, including my native English students. But they are aware that is is not "Academic English" and, therefore, are to use the correct forms on formal papers- but I do not believe "are" is going away anytime soon.