Read this excerpt from a short story. Carla could see all of Grace Court from her chair, but there was still no sign of her brot
her. She had been reviewing for Monday’s poetry quiz and enjoying the subtle signs of spring. She closed her eyes and recited a Langston Hughes line, only to be interrupted by a commotion. It was Lucas, returning on his bike and greeting neighbors as he passed. Soon he skidded to a stop at the curb by Carla’s feet. "What are you so excited about, Lucas?" she asked, "and where have you been for the past hour?" "I’ve been buyin’ us tickets for next weekend’s show uptown at the Grand. I hope I can talk you into leavin’ the stoop for one night." "What show?" Carla asked, with mounting excitement at the prospect of an evening out. Which line from the story contains dialect?
"I’ve been buyin’ us tickets for next weekend’s show uptown at the Grand. I hope I can talk you into leavin’ the stoop for one night."
Explanation:
Dialect refers to the way a person speaks a particular language. This way is usually associated with a certain social group, geographical area, class or district. People who share a dialect have a way of speaking that differs from the standard in spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation. In this example, this line contains dialect, as it shows the particular way of speaking of Carla's brother.
The line that contains dialect is<u> "I’ve been buyin’ us tickets for next weekend’s show uptown at the Grand. I hope I can talk you into leavin’ the stoop for one night."</u>
Explanation:
A dialect is a regional variety of a language. It is distinguished from other regional varieties by characteristics of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. It is common for authors to represent their characters' dialect through spelling. In this case, we can find such a representation in the words buyin' and leavin'. Instead of spelling them in their regular, grammatically correct form, the author chose to show his character's pronunciation by dropping the final -g.
