Introduction Chapter I grammar in early modern English

STRESS AND INTONATION
Rosewarne (1984) suggests that the intonation in Estuary English is characterized by frequent prominence being given to prepositions and auxiliary verbs which are not normally stressed in RP. For example: Let us get TO the point.
There also appears to be a narrower pitch of intonation patterns in Estuary English than in RP. This is especially true where rises do not reach as high a pitch as they would in RP. Rosewarne (1984) sees the overall effect as being interpreted as one of “deliberateness” and possibly an “apparent lack of enthusiasm”. Rosewarne (1984) and Coggle (1993) see certain lexical changes within EE pronunciation. Cheers is often used in place of thank you, but it is also used for saying goodbye. The word basically is used frequently in conversation as a sign of agreement. EE is also extremely influenced by Americanisms. For example: There you go being used in place of the more standard Here you are and There is acts as an invariable form of usage in both singular and plural contexts, sorry is often replaced with excuse me and It’s down to you is used instead of It’s up to you. Coggle (1993) proposes an explanation for this, saying that EE speakers are more open for linguistic change thus are able to accept innovations easier. The general assumption is that the major difference between EE and Cockney is the grammatical correctness. Cockney speakers use more non-standard grammar than speakers of EE. For example, a Cockney speaker might say you was but an Estuary speaker would use the standard you were.
Also, EE speakers frequently use the tag right? at the end of a sentence. According to Coggle (1993), this tag is used to ensure the interlocutor is actually listening. An example from Coggle is as follows: And there I was wai’in’ a’ the bus stop, righ’? When this car draws up, righ’?. Isn’t it?, don’t/didn’t I? are also extremely prominent in usage among EE speakers. Isn’t it? is often reduced simply to inni’? and is used as a general purpose tag, with the meaning of is that not the case?. It is used in a variety of cases, replacing the different tags of Standard English, such as aren’t they? or don’t they? (Coggle, 1993). So it can be used in such cases as Nice day, inni’? but also for Wayne’s stupid, inni’?