ABSTRACT
The main dialectologic division in Catalan runs from north to south and produces two main groups of dialects: east and west. The dialects of Northern Catalonia, half of Catalonia, and the Balearics belong to the eastern group, and those of Andorra, the western and most southern part of Catalonia, the Aragonese Strip, and Valencia belong to the western group. Apart from phonetics, another field of dialectologic distinction is verbal morphology (verb endings). Central Catalan, Valencian, Balearic, north-western, and northern Catalan show different systems, although this is only seen in some persons, tenses, and conjugations. Although all the forms and all verbal systems are seen as correct, the greater circulation of central Catalan forms makes them good candidates for the standard language when used for an unknown audience. These are the forms to be found in this grammar. In any case, all dialects are mutually intelligible and native speakers are accustomed to hearing the main ones.
