Hi! We are sophomores at Sterling High School in Sterling, IL. We are studying how authors create realistic dialogue in literature by studying the regional variances of our language. We are trying to collect data that will help us see how sayings vary region by region, by age of speaker, by educational level of speaker, and by ethnicity. You can help by answering the questions below and emailing the responses to our teacher, Mrs. Barnhart.

Please type the responses as you would say them. For example, if you tend to drop the final "g" when saying words that end in "ing", then type your response as "sayin'" rather than "saying". However, do not type in responses that are abbreviations for what you say, rather than how they are pronounced. For example, please don't type in "Come over 2 my house", as saying "2" or "to" is no different to a listener's ear.

Thank you for participating in our project. All results will be posted from this page after they are studied.

Want more of our project? Check out our CHANGES for fall!

Please answer the following questions and email the results to

Janet Barnhart

What is the highest grade in school you have completed?

How old are you?

In what area of the United States do you live?

What is your ethnicity?

For the following words and situations, please type in the most common way you would say the same thing.

Coffee

Pop

Water Fountain

Greeting a friend

Leaving a friend

A boyfriend

A girlfriend

To hang out with friends at night

To go on a date

To describe someone who is angry

To describe someone who is good-looking

To describe something unpleasant

To invite someone over to where you live

A saying that shows you are really happy

A saying that shows you are really upset