Table 5.
Language sample: Frequency of BE forms by group.
| Form | +GG | −GG |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream forms in Gullah and AAE | ||
| Am | 63 | 79 |
| Is | 415 | 436 |
| Are | 51 | 62 |
| Was/were | 366 | 265 |
| Nonmainstream forms in Gullah and AAE | ||
| Zero is | 138 | 340 |
| Zero are | 76 | 140 |
| BE leveling: is for are | 3 | 19 |
| BE leveling: was for were | 24 | 31 |
| I'ma | 12 | 25 |
| Nonmainstream forms in Gullah only | ||
| Zero am | 36 | 7 |
| Zero was/were | 20 | 15 |
| BEEN | 61 | 0 |
| də | 4 | 0 |
| Unproductive forms in Gullah and AAE | ||
| Are for is | 1 | 5 |
| Were for was | 2 | 1 |
| Total BE contexts | 1,272 | 1,425 |
Note. GG = Gullah/Geechee; AAE = African American English.