Modal auxiliaries have always been a central point in the study of language change and variation, yet nonstandard forms of core modals have mostly been overlooked by researchers. While there have been studies on the use of informal semi-modals (cf. Krug 2010; Mair 2015), no comparably extensive research has been done for informal core modals. For this reason, I chose to analyze the use of the standards forms should have, would have and could have as well as corresponding informal forms shoulda, woulda and coulda. Furthermore, this study examines modals across two varieties, namely Great Britain and the United States. Considering the ‘standard’ language of these dialects is rather established, it is particularly interesting to analyze the use of relatively unstable nonstandard forms.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Background
- Methods and Data
- Results
- Conclusion
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study examines the use of informal modal verb forms in American and British English, comparing the prevalence of standard forms like "should have" with their informal counterparts such as "shoulda". The main goal is to determine the degree of acceptance of informal language use in these two varieties of English.
- The evolution and use of modal auxiliaries in English
- The prevalence and acceptance of informal language in different varieties of English
- The influence of American English on British English
- The role of register and context in the use of standard and nonstandard verb forms
- The relationship between frequency and grammaticalization
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of informal modal verb forms in English, focusing on the forms "shoulda", "woulda", and "coulda". It highlights the lack of extensive research on these forms and outlines the study's objective to compare their usage in American and British English.
- Background: This chapter provides background information on modal auxiliaries, highlighting their importance in English and discussing previous studies on their use in both standard and nonstandard forms. It explores the concepts of chunking and colloquialization, noting their relevance to the development and use of informal modals.
- Methods and Data: This chapter outlines the methodology and data used in the study. It discusses the corpus selection process, including the choice of specific data sources, and details the collection and statistical analysis of the data.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study focuses on the following key areas: modal auxiliaries, informal language, language variation, American English, British English, colloquialization, grammaticalization, frequency, register, and nonstandard forms.
- Quote paper
- Antonia Friebel (Author), 2019, Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. Informal Modal Verb Forms in the US and Great Britain, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/504450
