GRAMMATICAL FEATURES - EXAMPLES:

Click on the speaker icons to hear the AAVE sentences.
Click on the different distinctive features to read more about them.

AAVE: "(See, he don') he say he not ready to get married,                 he just got out of a five year relationship."                                       
SAE: "He says (that) he is not ready to get married, he just got out of a five year relationship."                    

Distinctive feature: Deletion of the auxiliary / copula 'BE'
Absence of third person singular 's'

AAVE: "She don't believe nothing I tell her."                                   
SAE: " She doesn't believe anything I tell her."

Distinctive features: Multiple negation
Absence of third person singular 's'

her distance, I keep mine."                                 
SAE: "She

Distinctive feature: Absence of third person singular 's'

there yet."                                                                
SAE: "I

Distinctive feature: The use of 'ain't'

watching television."                                             
SAE: "We

Distinctive feature: Generalization of 'is' and 'was'

Distinctive feature: Habitual 'BE'

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