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L O W L A N D S - L - 01 May 2011 - Volume 05<br>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">From: <span class="gI"><span class="gD" style="color:#c88900">Paul Anisman</span> <span class="go"><<a href="mailto:panisman@gmail.com">panisman@gmail.com</a>></span></span><span class="gI"><span class="gD" style="color:#c88900"></span></span><span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Subject: <span class="gI">LL-L "Grammar" 2011.04.29 (03) [EN]</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><br><span class="gI"></span><span></span><span></span></p>Hi, all - The comments of Sandy and others, related to searching for<br>
the use of -s in other than 3rd person singular present tense verbs,<br>
brings to mind a page out of my youth. I don't think we've discussed<br>
the use of -s with the first person singular of the present tense of<br>
"to say", in NY City English. When I was growing up in Brooklyn ('40s<br>
and '50s) it was very popular, in working class speech, to narrate an<br>
incident that occurred in the past with "so I sez....and then she<br>
sez....and then I sez"....or, to emphasize a point when it appears<br>
your interlocutor hasn't really heard you or understood you. For<br>
example: "Did you say this cost 5 dollars?" might well elicit an<br>
impatient response such as "SIX DOLLARS, I sez". This phenomenon<br>
occurred exclusively in the first person singular....I never heard it<br>
used with "you", "we" or "they". It was also exclusively relegated to<br>
the verb "to say".<br>
<br>
Another observation re the use of the present tense for past reference<br>
is it's employment by (in particular) History teachers....both<br>
secondary and university level. Apparently, they feel that it lends<br>
more realism, and creates more of a "you are there" feeling among the<br>
students....particularly when in a lecture mode. I have noticed<br>
teachers I know, even in an informal conversation with colleagues,<br>
suddenly switching into the historical present, when discussing some<br>
aspect ot history. It's as if they've suddenly switched into their<br>
teacher mode.<br>
<br>
Just a couple of observations.<br>
<br>
--Paul Anisman<br>
Maryland, U.S.<br>
<br>
On 4/29/11, Lowlands-L List <<a href="mailto:lowlands.list@gmail.com">lowlands.list@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> From: Sandy Fleming <<a href="mailto:fleemin@live.co.uk">fleemin@live.co.uk</a>><br>
><br>
> Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2011.04.29 (02) [EN]<br>
><br>
>> From: Pat Barrett <<a href="mailto:pbarrett@cox.net">pbarrett@cox.net</a>><br>
>> Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2011.04.28 (06) [EN]<br>
><br>
>> The use of -s in other than 3rd person singular present tense verbs is a<br>
> characteristic of certain English dialects. All persons have -s.<br>
><br>
> Memory isn't serving me too well on this but I think it's in Berkshire or<br>
> thereabouts that it's all -s. There's somewhere else (Norwich?) where there<br>
> are no present tense endings.<br>
><br>
> So if we want a simple standard for English... :)<br>
><br>
> I'm finding it hard to search for this sort of thing. Wikipedia has pages<br>
> about dialects but trying to follow links on them seems to lead to general<br>
> geographic pages about the regions.<br>
><br>
> Sandy Fleming<br>
> <a href="http://scotstext.org/" target="_blank">http://scotstext.org/</a><br><br><span>
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