ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the kinds of linguistic analysis needed to study variation in English. In studying varieties we need to bring together what we observe on the formal linguistic level with what we can discover or infer about context and other relevant factors, so as to come to a maximally informed description, judgement or interpretation. A good starting point is to consider whether the words used are morphologically simple or complex. An ad for the Nissan Micra car makes explicit reference to the word-formation process of blending through which it has created new words summing up the qualities of the new model: simpology; modtro and spafe. A text can be defined as a piece of spoken or written language which we recognise as having a complete or autonomous communicative function. Knowing how a syllable is structured in English can help us decide where the syllable boundaries come in words of more than one syllable.
