话题语
与汉语、日语相似,新加坡英语非常重视话题语。所谓话题优先语言,就是句子中的已知部分,同时定义句子的意义范畴。汉语和新加坡英语都趋向于把话题语放在句首,如以下例句中加重部份就是话题语:
This country weather very hot one.— 这个国家天气很热。(话题语为地点)
和正统英语比较:The weather in this country is very hot.
Yesterday got so many people! — 昨天人真多!(话题语为时间)
和正统英语比较:There were many people yesterday!
Play soccer he very good.— 踢足球他拿手。(话题语为范围)
和正统英语比较:He plays soccer well.
That person there cannot trust one.— 那边那个人信不得。(话题语为宾语)
和正统英语比较:Can't trust that person there.
以上的话题语虽然在句子中的角色不同,句型却完全相同。在英美英语中,话题语就没有这种特殊地位,使用的句型也不一样:
In this country, the weather is very hot.— 在这个国家,天气很热。(加介词)
Yesterday, there were many people! — 昨天,人真多!(加停顿)
As for playing soccer, he's very good.— 在踢足球方面,他拿手。(为现在分词,并加介词)
That person there cannot be trusted.— 那边那个人不能信赖。(宾语做主语,需使用被动语态)
和汉语一样,新加坡英语的话题语可以省略,而英美英语则不行:
Not good one lah.— (这个)不好的啦。
和正统英语比较:This is not good.
Cannot go like that one lah.— (你)不能这么去的啦。
和正统英语比较:You can't go in this way.
How come never show up?— (他)怎么没来?
和正统英语比较:How come he didn't show up?
I like badminton, that's why go play every weekend.— 我喜欢羽毛球,所以(我)每个周末都去打。
和正统英语比较:I like playing badminton, so I play it every weekend.
He not feeling well, so decide to stay home and sleep.— 他觉得不舒服,所以(他)决定呆在家里睡觉。
和正统英语比较:He is not feeling well, so he decides to stay home and sleep.