Modern English
a. a tendency to regularise irregular morphology (e.g. dreamt dreamed)
b. revival of the "mandative" subjunctive, probably inspired by formal US usage (we
demand that she take part in the meeting)
demand that she take part in the meeting)
c. elimination of shall as a future marker in the first person
d. development of new, auxiliary-like uses of certain lexical verbs (e.g. get, want – cf.,
e.g., The way you look, you wanna / want to see a doctor soon)
e.g., The way you look, you wanna / want to see a doctor soon)
e. extension of the progressive to new constructions, e.g. modal, present perfect and past
perfect passive progressive (the road would not be being built/ has not been being
built/ had not been being built before the general elections)
built/ had not been being built before the general elections)
f. increase in the number and types of multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs, have/take/give a
ride, etc.)
ride, etc.)
g. placement of frequency adverbs before auxiliary verbs (even if no emphasis is
intended – I never have said so)
intended – I never have said so)
h. do-support for have (have you any money? and no, I haven't any money do you
have/ have you got any money? and no, I don't have any money/ haven't got any
money)
have/ have you got any money? and no, I don't have any money/ haven't got any
money)
i. demise of the inflected form whom
j. increasing use of less instead of fewer with countable nouns (e.g. less people)
k. spread of the s-genitive to non-human nouns (the book's cover)
l. omission of the definite article in certain environments (e.g. renowned Nobel laureate
Derek Walcott)
Derek Walcott)
m. "singular" they (everybody came in their car)
n. like, same as, and immediately used as conjunctions
o. a tendency towards analytical comparatives and superlatives (politer more polite)
