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Tense and the Form be in Black English

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2026

Ralph W. Fasold
Ralph W. Fasold*
Affiliation:
Center for Applied Linguistics
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Abstract

The Negro dialect, Black English, has a distinctive use of be as a main verb, expressing iteration rather than instantaneous or constant states. Although the Standard English phrases will be and would be can have a meaning similar to Black English be, phonological deletion of these modals cannot account for all occurrences of be in Black English. It is argued that the best analysis is one which recognizes only one verb to be, which can occur without tense.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , December 1969, pp. 763 - 776
Copyright
Copyright © 1969 Linguistic Society of America

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