Power versus Peer
Status versus Solidarity Case study: Detroit Black English Vernacular (BEV) (Walt Wolfram)

Pattern for contracting and deleting of the copula (be)
 

She real nice. She nurse. They out there. We getting beat.

I'm a good man. Yesterday he was good. I want to be bad. I know what they are. He not home, is he? He is so bad. What's....? That's....

I. Total of deletion and contraction by social class.
 

100%	.	.	.	.	.
	79.8%	.	.	77.4%	81.9%
80%	yyyyyy	72.6%	74.2%	yyyyyy	yyyyyy
	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yyyyyy	yyyyyy	yyyyyy
60%	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yyyyyy	yyyyyy	yy56.9%
	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yyyyyy	yy40.1%	nnnnnn
40%	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yyyyyy	nnnnnn	nnnnnn
	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yyyyyy	nnnnnn	nnnnnn
20%	yyyyyy	yyyyyyy	yy10.9%	nnnnnn	nnnnnn
	yyyyyy	nnn4.7%	nnnnnn	nnnnnn	nnnnnn
	UMW	UMB	LMB	UWB	LWB

II. Percentage of deletions according to sex and social class
 

.	Males	Females
UMB	6.4%	3.1%
LMB	16.4%	5.3%
UWB	45.3%	28.7%
LWB	66.3%	47.5%

III. Percentage of deletions by age and social class
 

.	10-12 yrs.	14-17 yrs.	Adult
UMB	6.2%	5.1%	3.1%
LMB	18.0%	8.2%	6.4%
UWB	53.5%	30.3%	27.4%
LWB	64.7%	67.7%	38.4%