Syntactic Aspects in Text Messages of University of Zimbabwe Students

Authors

  • Leslei Kahari University of Zimbabwe
  • Lovemore Mutonga University of Zimbabwe
  • Thembani Ndlovu University of Zimbabwe

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v2i10.250

Keywords:

Syntax, Text messages, English Language sentences.

Abstract

This study is a syntactic analysis of text messages in English language used by University of Zimbabwe students. The study specifically focuses on sentences where there are omissions of pronouns, auxiliary verbs and where contractions occur. The study also analyzes the impact of sociolinguistic variables on the sentence structure of English language in text messages. The fifty respondents’ forwarded two messages each from their sent items on their cell phones to the researcher and to understand the factors triggering the syntactic structures the researcher carried out unstructured interviews. The data collected showed that cell phone texting has indeed been affected by the socio-economic factors and these factors trigger omissions of important elements of English language sentence structure such as ,pronouns, auxiliary verbs and contraction of phrases.

Author Biographies

  • Leslei Kahari, University of Zimbabwe
    Lecturer,Department of Linguistics,University of Zimbabwe
  • Lovemore Mutonga, University of Zimbabwe

    Lecturer, Department of Linguistics

  • Thembani Ndlovu, University of Zimbabwe
    Department of Linguistics

References

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Published

2013-11-28

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