what do you call that form of English that doesn't use "to be"?

[arcane1]

zero-sum English or something like that? :shrug:

It's on the tip of my brain, but I just can't get to it!

[imenja]

1. can you explain that a bit more?

What precisely you mean, or give an example?

[arcane1]

3. hard to explain...

and I don't recall the correct grammar... but for example you wouldn't say "I am tired", you would say it in such a way as to eliminate the redundant "am"

[imenja]

5. oh, don't know

I know some of that is fairly common in black English (what some call Ebonics). They also use "be"--like "I be Christian"--to express a continual or repetitive state of being, similar but not identical to the difference between "ser" and "estar" in Spanish.
That's not what you mean though, so basically I'm being useless here.

Edit: If I even once wrote a post without a typo it would be a miracle.

[Magrittes Pipe]

2. Pretentious?

:shrug:

[benddem]

4. as in?

"this whole subject makes me tired" ??? Didn't know it had a name.

[demnan]

6. the opposite of passive English?

n/t

[arcane1]

7. but there is supposedly an actual name for it...

driving me crazy trying to remember :crazy:

[cpamomfromtexas]

8. It's called Active voice

[TrogL]

9. E-Prime

http://www.general-semantics.org/library/61-4-bourland.pdf

[arcane1]

11. that's it, thanks!

English Prime: To Exist or Not to Exist

English Prime means English without the verb "to be" or any of its forms. These include: is, are, were, am, be, been. You may, in using this language, use forms of the verb "to be" as helping verbs when the main verb describes action such as "been running" but not as a state of being verb such as "been sick."

[MrModerate]

13. Yeah, but why would you want to? n/t

[TrogL]

14. It firms up your thinking, enriches your language

I try to use it where I can.

I am happy -> I feel cheerful.
I am very said -> My sadness overwhelms me.

[MrModerate]

16. OK, I get it.

Hate that flabby language.

But then you should see my abs. Even worse.

[arcane1]

15. don't necessarily want to, was just talking about it a little while ago

to a person from Bosnia who was complaining about the whole "is, am, are, etc" thing

[BurtWorm]

12. I call your attention to the correct answer!

Notice that I resisted saying, "Here ** the correct answer." I have pride in myself.

[Midlodemocrat]

10. Ebonics. I think that is what you are looking for. n/t