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Topic�comment

Selasa, 21 Mei 2013 0 comments

The above (Sunday Times, 12 May 2013) is an interesting example of a topic�comment (or left-dislocation) structure in Singapore English (SgE).

Where Standard English has the sentence structure subject�predicate, SgE often has topic�comment, where the topic of the sentence is stated, and then a comment is added to it.

In the sentence above, the topic of the sentence is Linna Tay, mother of national swimmer Jerryl Yong begins the sentence; for may be thought of as a topic marker which separates the topic from the comment. In the comment clause, the topic �reappears� as the subject; this is called a resumptive pronoun.

(A subject�predicate counterpart of the above would be Linna Tay, mother of national swimmer Jerryl Yong, has to ....)

While topic�comment is more typical of Singapore Colloquial English (SCE, or Singlish), it is also fairly common in more formal uses (such as formal newspaper reports and student essays), which led me to argue in my PhD thesis (Cambridge, 2007) that there is good reason to believe that all of SgE is, in fact, underlyingly topic�comment rather than subject�predicate.

Departmental Store

Selasa, 07 Mei 2013 0 comments

Singapore English (especially Singapore Colloquial English, or Singlish) is often thought to be shorter and sweeter than Standard English, but this is not always the case.

As this example, seen in a shopping mall in Singapore, shows, the Standard English term, department store (which has its own entry in the Oxford Advanced Learner�s Dictionary), is in fact shorter than the Singapore English equivalent, departmental store.

For a discussion of departmental store in Singapore English, see Adam Brown�s Singapore English in a Nutshell: An Alphabetical Description of its Features (Federal, 1999) or English Language Myths: Thirty Beliefs that Aren�t Really True (McGraw-Hill, 2006).

Will

Sabtu, 19 Januari 2013 0 comments

In Standard English, habitual events are usually expressed using verbs in the simple present tense, e.g. I go for a jog every morning before heading to work.

In Singapore English, however, this is very often expressed using the modal verb will, as in the example above: During his daily commute to work, Mr Henry Kwok will whip out his Samsung Galaxy Note ... (Straits Times Digital Life supplement, 9 January 2013). This is no doubt an influence from Chinese, which uses ? (hu�) to express habitual events. For a discussion of this, see David Deterding�s book Singapore English (Edinburgh University Press, 2007).

Rabu, 16 Maret 2011 0 comments

Noncount Nouns

This an advertisement on the Straits Times website. The noun stuff is noncount in Standard English, but in Singapore English is often used as count (as the plural �s suffix suggests).

Other common noncount nouns used as count in Singapore English include markings (e.g. As an English teacher, I have lots of markings to do), junks, jargons, terminologies, and slangs.

Rabu, 15 Desember 2010 0 comments

Keep

In Singapore English the verb keep has the meaning of �to put away� � as was obviously intended in the excerpt above.

In Standard English, however, keep describes a state and not an action; and, as noted by Adam Brown in his excellent Singapore English in a Nutshell, it is very often synonymous with possess, remain or retain.

Selasa, 31 Agustus 2010 0 comments

No Outside Food

In Singapore, signs like the above are very common. You�ll find them in restaurants and caf�s whose owners, perhaps understandably, want to restrict the use of their tables to their customers. In this context, the term outside food refers to food bought elsewhere, i.e. not from the restaurant or caf� displaying the sign. It may also be used as an antonym of home-cooked food.

Among campaigners for good English in Singapore, there is a sense that the above message is non-standard and hence to be discouraged. The following sign appears to be an attempt at expressing the same message in Standard English.

I am not entirely sure that this is an improvement, for it does not sound very idiomatic either, i.e. not something a native speaker (however you choose to define her or him) would say. Perhaps it is necessary to recast it more radically, as any one of the following (or variants thereof):

These tables are for the consumption of food purchased/bought here only.

These tables are for our customers only.

Only for the consumption of food purchased here.

Only for food purchased here.

Not for the consumption of food bought elsewhere.

You�ll probably agree that this little exercise is a good example of a cure being worse than the original ailment! Note that, by comparison with any of the above, the original message, No outside food allowed, is beautifully concise, precise and immediately comprehensible, at least in Singapore.

Selasa, 16 Februari 2010 0 comments

Regret About/For

Here are two examples of superfluous prepositions in Singapore English (SgE), the first from the broadsheet The Straits Times (15 February 2010) and the other from a notice at one of Singapore�s more popular museums.

In Standard English (StdE), regret as a verb is transitive, meaning it takes a direct object (underlined) and no preposition, e.g. He regretted his indecision over the sale. Similarly, StdE would have He regretted what had happened and We regret (any) inconvenience caused where the SgE examples above have regretted about and regret for.

In SgE, the use of prepositions with (what in StdE are) transitive verbs is very common. Typical examples include discuss about, emphasize on, source for, relook at, rework on, study/research on, partner with, demand for and request for.

On the other hand, SgE uses some verbs transitively where in StdE they would be intransitive and require a preposition. Hence, in SgE one may apply leave and reply him, whereas StdE would have these as apply for leave and reply to him.

Jumat, 11 Desember 2009 0 comments

The Kena Passive in Singapore English

In Standard English (StdE), passives are formed using a be passive auxiliary verb or a form of get. By contrast, Singapore English (SgE), which does not have as complex a system of auxiliary and main verbs, uses kena (a word of Malay origin) to form the passive. The SgE examples above may therefore be phrased in StdE as I was once fined, I got fined once, or If I was fined. (The quote may be translated as �I was once fined for jaywalking. Quite embarrassing. If I�d been fined for speeding, then that would�ve been cool.�)

Interestingly, the SgE kena passive is what is known as an �adversative passive� � one used for negative or undesirable outcomes. Hence, The baby kena fed is all right if the baby had been fed poison, but not if it had been fed milk. Likewise, if one were to say I kena appointed leader, it suggests the speaker did not want to be leader.

Sharing about English Lesson

Topic�comment

Departmental Store

Will

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