ABSTRACT
One of the goals of research in African-American vernacular English (AAVE) has been to provide a description of the properties of the verbal elements in its system. Verbal forms have been a central focus of study in this variety of English basically because they show marked differences from forms in other varieties. The purpose of this chapter is to present a discussion of AAVE verb forms in general and to provide an analysis of the internal structure of phrases in which they are generated. The overall aim is to present an analysis which will give some insight into the way the verbal system in AAVE functions as a part of the grammar.
