Singlish grammar is the set of structural rules Colloquial Singaporean English follows, including the structure of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. The grammar of Singlish is influenced by Malay and the Chinese languages.
Some features of Singlish grammar include topic-prominence, where sentences begin with a known referent of the conversation, omission of the word be, reduplication of words, and discourse particles such as lah, leh and ah. Discourse particles are a distinguishing feature of Singlish, which impart pragmatic but not semantic information. According to Smakman and Wagenaar, lah and ah are used the most. The earliest particles, lah, ah, and what, were acquired from Hokkien and Bazaar Malay, while a later set of particles, lor, hor, leh, meh and mah, were acquired mostly from Cantonese.
Background
According to Gupta, Singlish likely arose from varieties of standard English, such as Eurasian, Indian, British and American English, varieties of Chinese, such as Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese, and a variety of Malay, such as Bazaar or Baba Malay, and possibly Kristang, the Portuguese creole. The grammar of Singlish is influenced by Malay and the Chinese languages. For example, the lack of verbal inflections, the lack of articles and topic-prominence are grammatical features that Singlish, Malay and the Chinese languages share. Singlish is highly mutually intelligible with Manglish.
In 1992, Catherine Lim, an author, said that Singlish should be differentiated from English with bad grammar and pronunciation as a result of imperfect learning. In 2000, VJ Times published Singlish to English: Basic Grammar Guide, a Singlish textbook. By 2017, Singlish is considered by linguists to be an independent language with its own systematic grammar, being studied by at least seven universities internationally.
Initially, Singlish was deemed as grammatically incorrect by the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). In 2000, the Speak Good English Movement was launched, an annual campaign to encourage standard English and discourage Singlish, characterising it as "bad English". From the 2010s, it received greater global interest and became more celebrated and accepted in Singapore. By 2016, the SGEM had adjusted their stance to encourage those who only speak Singlish to also speak standard English and sought to differentiate Singlish and standard English.
Topic prominence Singlish is topic-prominent, like Chinese and Malay. It is described as a "basic structure" by Ludwig Tan, a linguist at the University of Cambridge. Sentences may begin with a discourse topic, followed by a comment with new information. All major phrase categories may serve as the topic, such as noun phrases, verb phrases, preposition phrases, and tense phrases (sentences).
The topic can be omitted when the subject is understood from the context. Multiple topics may precede the comment, and multiple comments may follow a topic. Utterances without a topic are a diagnostic feature of Singlish. Verb groups with null subjects are also referred to as pro-drop. +Topic typeExampleGlossNoun phraseCertain medicine we don't stock ∅ in our dispensary.We don't stock certain medicine in our dispensary.Verb phraseIs very interesting I find geography ∅.I find geography very interesting.Preposition phraseInside the schoolbag they've got food ∅.They've got food inside the schoolbag.Tense phraseYou can investigate some of the case ∅ actually will be good.It actually will be good if you can investigate some of the cases. Topics can be categorised into three different kinds: "theme-proper" (TP), "diatheme" (DT) and "middle-theme" (MT).
"Theme-proper" topics carry information of a topic from an earlier clause. Omission of topics of this kind make up 90.76% of all omitted topics in Leong Ping's research. This is because they contribute the least to the development of the conversation. The omission of these topics is also known as a topic chain, which is also present in Chinese and Malay.
What did youTP do in your English classesTP? ∅TP Write compositions. – 'In my English classes, I wrote compositions.'
"Diatheme" topics carry information of a non-topic from an earlier clause. These are omitted infrequently as they are more important to communication.
I mean um, it's not every day that ITP can play with little children. Uh huh, but ∅DT very tiring right? – 'Uh huh, but playing with little children is very tiring, right?'
"Middle-theme" topics carry information that may be recoverable from the context, but otherwise do not have relation to the established conversation. These are omissible only if there is a shared understanding, or if the situational context permits it, such as if the referents are present in the conversation.
∅MT Got a meeting. ∅TP Can't come. – 'He has a meeting. He cannot come.' (If he is a shared understanding)
Bare conditionals Bare conditionals are conditional sentences, constructed in a way that is indistinguishable from a topic-prominent sentence. According to Bao Zhiming, it is likely influenced by Chinese rather than English.
If-words, such as if, unless, and as long as, which create conditional clauses, may be omitted in Singlish, and is similar to Chinese grammar. Contextual clues are required to determine if the condition and consequent are two independent events, temporally related, or causally related. All major phrase categories can serve as a conditional, just like a topic. Unlike in English, where bare conditionals such as say that again and you're fired are used for imperatives conveying a threat with negative connotations, Singlish carries no such nuance or requirements.
You want, you better book early. – 'If you want it, you'd better book early.'
Nouns
Countability Nouns are optionally marked for plurality. Articles are also optional.
He can play piano. – 'He can play the piano.' I like to read storybook. – 'I like to read storybooks.' Your computer got virus or not? – 'Does your computer have a virus?' This one ten cent only. – 'This one only costs ten cents.'
Many uncountable nouns, such as furniture and clothing, can be made countable.
By feeling the cardboards, it can fold up to 600 cartons a day. – 'By feeling the cardboard, it can fold up to 600 cartons a day.' Why a salesman is now a client relations personnel. – 'Why a salesman is now a client relations person.'
Nouns after premodifiers that represent a quantitatively definite set, such as all, are more likely to be marked for plurality.
Alsagoff and Ho wrote that nouns are always pluralised when accompanied by a quantifier, such as many or four. Wee and Ansaldo instead wrote that it might be optional, citing sentences from the Grammar of Spoken Singapore English Corpus (GSSEC).
Inclusion of an unnecessary quantifier with countable nouns can also be found, such as on invoices.
Twenty pieces of chairs. – 'Twenty chairs.' About 270 units of "lifestyle cars" were sold. – 'About 270 "lifestyle cars" were sold.'
Adjectives as non-generic nouns Premodifiers may also be used as a noun to represent specific groups, unlike English, where the adjective can only refer to a generic group, such as in "The poor need more help".
Okay, so you no need to take the basic. You just attend the class. – ''Okay, so you do not need to take the basic test. You just have to attend the class."
Pronouns One can function as a pronoun; it substitutes a noun and can be made explicit through a substitution. It may also be constructed by preceding it with a possessive pronoun, which provides emphasis.
Buy the packet type. Don't buy the box box one. – 'Buy the packet type. Don't buy the boxy type.' That book is his one. – 'That book is his.' Your one is nicer. – 'Yours is nicer.'
Alsagoff and Ho wrote that one might also be analysed as a relative pronoun occurring at the end of the relative clause instead of between the head and dependent clause. Bao says that it is plausible, but is mostly dependent on a native speaker's intuition. Wee and Ansaldo says that because one is mostly found sentence-finally, it is unlikely that the explanation can account for its sentence-final appearance, because relative clauses rarely shift to the end of the sentence.
The man sell ice cream one gone home already. – 'The man who sells ice cream has gone home already.'
Nominalisation One functions as a nominalizer which appears at the final direct object position of a clause, turning it into a noun phrase.
Ah Chew buy expensive one. – 'Ah Chew bought an expensive one.'
Omission involving verbs
Object The object a verb takes can also be omitted, similar to Chinese grammar.
My son wants ∅ to carry ∅ all the time. – 'My son wants his dad to carry him all the time.'
Inflections Inflecting the verb for tense and subject-verb agreement is optional, but not random. For example, if the verb is inflected for the past tense, it must semantically agree with adverbials like yesterday.
After also Verb phrases may be replaced with also in sentences that have established context.
John run already. I also ∅. – 'John has run. So have I.' Ali not here. Fatimah also ∅. – 'Ali is not here. Fatimah is not here either.'
Copula be The copula verb be tends to be omitted,but omission varies with education level; the less-educated omit be more often where it would be expected. It is a diagnostic feature of Singlish. The omission can be explained with topic prominence.
Omission must agree with tense. Omission of the copula is only used to express the present tense, in the absence of any words denoting time. Omission of the copula is only permitted to express the past tense in the presence of words like was and just now, and the future tense in the presence of words like tomorrow.
It is omitted the most before an adjective or adjective phrase, and omitted the least before a preposition phrase expressing a location. These findings are consistent across education levels ranging from primary to tertiary education, and may be influenced by Chinese and Malay grammar.
This coffee house ∅ very cheap. – 'This coffee house is very cheap.' My brother ∅ in Australia. – 'My brother is in Australia.'
It can also be omitted in equative and attributive expressions.
Colour ∅ not very good. – 'The colour is not very good.'
It cannot be omitted when the subject, at the clause-final position, is too short, such as pronouns.
He ∅ my neighbour. – 'He is my neighbour.' *My neighbour ∅ him.
It cannot be omitted when clauses use a dummy subject, such as existential clauses and it-cleft constructions.
*There ∅ options available. *It ∅ the pilot who saw it.
It cannot be omitted when it appears in a verb phrase with other auxiliary verbs, which is different from the acceptable omission in a construction where context is established in English.
*Today must ∅ Saturday. *You are ∅ difficult. You should be quite assured, and Pat should ∅ too. – 'You should be quite assured, and Pat should be too.'
Auxiliary verbs The auxiliary verb be which occurs before a progressive verb in a verb phrase can be omitted. This includes interrogatives, making subject-auxiliary inversion unobservable.
They ∅ trying to kill the benefactor. – 'They are trying to kill the benefactor.' How ∅ you going to dance? – 'How are you going to dance?'
The auxiliary passive be which is followed by a past participle verb can also be omitted, including in the idiomatic phrase be supposed to.
Milk ∅ also given by the mother. – 'Milk was also given by the mother.' You ∅ supposed to make a U-turn. – 'You were supposed to make a U-turn.'