Belize Creole and English/Contrastive Grammar

BZJ-ENG Tests

1. Adding definite articles:

(bzj) weh Ah di seh? → (eng) 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>

(bzj) Ai di tel → (eng) I speak

(bzj) Ai<prn><p1><sg> di<det> tell<v> → (eng) I<prn><p1><sg>speak<v>

2. Difference in word order:

(bzj) How yoo ku seh yoo si Aybraham? → (eng) 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

(bzj) di<det> prafit dehn<n><pl> ded<adj> → (eng) the<det> prophets<n><pl> are<v> dead<adj>

aksep di ting dehn --> listen to my words.

(bzj) aksep<v> di<det> ting dehn<n><pl> → (eng) listen to<v><imp> my<det><pos><sp> words<n><pl>

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>