Belize Creole and English/Contrastive Grammar
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BZJ-ENG Tests
1. Adding definite articles:
weh Ah di seh? --> what I say?
(bzj) weh<prn><itg> Ah<prn><p1><sg> di<det> seh<v> → (eng) what<prn><itg>I<prn><p1><sg>say<v>
Ai di tel --> I speak
(bzj) Ai<prn><p1><sg> di<det> tell<v> → (eng) I<prn><p1><sg>speak<v>
2. Difference in word order:
How yoo ku seh yoo si Aybraham? --> You have seen Abraham!
(bzj) How<adv> yoo<prn><p2><sg> ku<vaux> seh<v> yoo<prn><p2><sg> si<v> Aybraham<n> → (eng) You<prn><p2><sg> have<vaux> seen<v> Abraham<n>
3. Adding auxiliary verbs:
unu noh bileev mi --> you do not believe me
(bzj) unu<prn><p2><sg> noh<adv> bileev<v> mi<pr><p1><sg> → (eng) you<prn><p2><sg> do<vaux> not<vaux> believe<v> me<pr><p1><sg>
di prafit dehn ded. --> The prophets are dead
(bzj) di<det> prafit dehn<n><pl> ded<adj> → (eng) the<det> prophets<n><pl> are<v> dead<adj>
4. Adding plural auxiliary:
di prafit dehn ded. --> The prohpets are dead
^di/di<det>$ ^prafit dehn/prafit<n><pl>$ ^ded/ded<adj>$^../..<sent>$ -> (eng) ^the/the<det><def><sp>$ ^prophets/prophet<n><pl>$ ^are/be<vbser><pres>/be<vblex><pres><p1><pl>/be<vblex><pres><p2><sg>/be<vblex><pres><p2><pl>/be<vblex><pres><p3><pl>$ ^dead/dead<adj>$^./.<sent>$
(bzj) di<det> prafit dehn<n><pl> ded<adj> → (eng) You<prn><p2><sg> are<v> from<pr> your<det><pos><p2><sg> father<n>
aksep di ting dehn --> listen to my words.
^aksep/aksep<v>$ ^di/di<det>$ ^ting dehn/ting<n><pl>$^./.<sent>$ -> (eng) ^listen to/listen# to<vblex><imp>$ ^my/my<det><pos><sp>/prpers<det><pos><p1><mf><sg>$ ^words/word<n><pl>$^./.<sent>$
5. Adding prepositions:
Unu da fahn fi unu pa --> You are from your father
(bzj) Unu<prn><p2><sg> da<pr> fahn<pr> fi<pr> unu<prn><p2><sg> pa<n> → (eng) You<prn><p2><sg> are<v> from<pr> your<det><pos><p2><sg> father<n>
da di devl --> the devil
(bzj) da<pr> di<det> devl<n> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> devil<n>
