Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 12:56:34 -0600 From: Natalie Maynor Subject: Re: Recent Black English > >she used uninflected BE it did NOT refer to a habitual action. Anyone > >else have this happen? > Your student is partly right. In AAVE, HE DON' TELL LIES and HE DON' BE > TELLIN LIES do not mean the same thing. The first is the basic habitual; > the second denotes repeated processes. Note also the absence of I tend to use the word "habitual," perhaps erroneously, to mean "repeated processes." Although "habit" is implied in "he don' tell lies" (or "he tell lies"), I think of that as more like a continuous state -- more like "he's not a liar" or "he's a liar" -- sort of a continuous habit, if I'm not stretching things too much with that description. --Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)