Discusses the use of the two past tenses in French, specifically in literature and news reporting. (AM)

Suggests that stylistic variation should be used by linguistis in their search for linguistic structure. (AM)

Examines Jimmy Carter's addresses to the American people focusing on the symbolic form of his language, the conceptions of the audience, and the ethical dimensions of his words. (MH)

Describes the function of English modal verbs, arranging them in categories: permitting, asking permission, forbidding, commanding, exhorting, requesting, conjecturing, wishing. Various nuances are illustrated with numerous examples. For the clear, unambiguous functioning of each modal verb, an ample context is a prerequisite. (Text is in German.)…

A discussion of problems encountered in literary translations which are not found in non-literary texts. The following steps are described: identification of the specific features of the work, categories to be applied in the evaluation of the translation, and verification of them against constantly occurring characteristic features of the text.…

Catalogs a variety of common grammatical errors that have entered the English language and become entrenched during this past generation, primarily through the fault of the mass media. (NKA)

Describes the use of a small set of linguistic variables in different types of radio programs from Radio Cymru (the Welsh language radio network), to see whether variation does correlate with style as it does in the community. Results show that broadcasters followed community norms for these variables. (SED)

Presents data that suggest that three factors--social variables, speech register, and linguistic variables--influence the choice of grammatical structure in Brazilian Portuguese where options exist to express the same idea. Examines the range of options used in responses that indicate general patterns of linguistic structures related to particular…

Explores the general features and some unique usages of West African English, Caribbean English, and Indian English. (EL)

Shows that "usted" has two functions: showing lack of solidarity and showing extreme solidarity, with "tu" falling somewhere in between on the continuum. Discusses the increasing use of "tu," especially among younger people, and presents some possible reasons for this. (SED)

Describes reactions of native French speakers to usage of French slang by young American students. French-speaking participants rated 30 tape-recorded slang expressions. Their reactions were evaluated in relation to the sex, profession, age, and residence of the respondents. Results show attitudes critical of the use of slang in general. (SED)

Analyzes salutations in 75 letters of application. The 28 applicants who used masculine greetings used four different forms. The 47 who used sex-neutral greetings used 19 different forms. Looks at the applicants' qualifications, sex, and region of the country in which they live as factors influencing the writers' choices of salutations. (SED)

Explores the difficulty in defining cliche and distinguishing it from other idiomatic and indelible expressions in the English language. (HTH)

Teachers must learn to accept the fact that variation in language is part of the communicative competence of a linguistically mature individual. (RC)