Standard and non-standard language

A standard language is a variety of language that is used by governments, in the media, in schools and for international communication. There are different standard varieties of English in the world, such as North American English, Australian English and Indian English. Although these standard varieties differ in terms of their pronunciation, there are few differences in grammar between them. In contrast, there are non-standard forms of a language that are used, for example, in different regional dialects and these non-standard varieties are different from each other.

This book is a grammar of standard written and spoken British English. It has examples of forms of English that are standard but that are more common in speaking than in writing. The book also has some examples of language that are non-standard and not acceptable or appropriate. All users of English make choices all the time about what is most acceptable or appropriate in different contexts. Learners of English should use standard forms of the language in most situations.