Foreign languages

2.2. Common grammatical structures used in New Zealand

New Zealand English is marked by its pronunciation and vocabulary. While some claim that New Zealand English and British English are grammatically identical, differences can be identified which are not categorical but rather a matter of frequency of usage.¹¹
For example, it is unlikely you will often hear the modal verb shall in New Zealand English. The preference is for will. A hundred years ago New Zealand speakers used will to express future events or intentions:

• 
  We will have a picnic on Saturday.
  

Today it would be much more common to hear:

• 
  We’re going to have a picnic on Saturday.
  

Have was once used chiefly to express possession:

• 
  I have new shoes.
  

Today New Zealanders would say:

• 
  I’ve got new shoes.
  

Within New Zealand English there is grammatical variation involving non-standard features; that is, verbs are irregularly conjugated. This is not unique to New Zealand but is the same as mainstream non-standard English heard in other varieties of English. It is associated with lower class speakers and can carry strong social stigma; verb forms affected include:

• 
  I seen it.
  
• 
  I come here yesterday.
  
• 
  I done it.
  
• 
  I rung the bell.
  

Non-standard New Zealand English has a second person plural pronoun yous:

• 
  What are yous doing tonight?
  

This is likely to have come from areas with strong Irish migration, and is becoming increasingly common, especially in Māori English.¹²
Some common grammatical structures used in New Zealand English include:
1. The use of "eh" at the end of a sentence to seek agreement or confirmation, e.g. "That was a good movie, eh?"
2. The use of "reckon" to express an opinion or belief, e.g. "I reckon we should go to the beach today."
3. The use of "got" instead of "have" in certain contexts, e.g. "I've got a headache" instead of "I have a headache."
4. The use of double negatives, e.g. "I don't have no money" instead of "I don't have any money."
5. The use of the present continuous tense to describe ongoing actions, e.g. "I'm just popping to the shops" instead of "I'm going to the shops."
6. The use of "heaps" instead of "a lot," e.g. "I have heaps of work to do."
7. The use of "ta" instead of "thank you," e.g. "Ta very much."
8. The use of "chur" as an expression of appreciation or agreement, e.g. "Chur bro, that was awesome."
9. The use of "sweet as" to mean "all good" or "no problem," e.g. "Can you grab me a drink?" "Sweet as."
10. The use of "yeah-nah" to express uncertainty or hesitation, e.g. "Do you want to come to the party?" "Yeah-nah, I'm not sure."
11. The use of "jandals" instead of "flip flops" or "sandals."
12. The use of "mate" as a term of endearment or casual address, e.g. "Hey mate, how's it going?"
13. The use of "kiwi" to refer to a New Zealander, or "kiwiana" to refer to iconic New Zealand culture.
14. The use of "puku" instead of "stomach" or "belly," e.g. "I'm so full, my puku is about to burst!"
15. The use of "hard yakka" to refer to hard work, e.g. "I've been doing some hard yakka on the farm today."
16. The use of "bugger" as an expression of disappointment or frustration, e.g. "Bugger, I forgot my keys."
17. The use of "chilly bin" instead of "cooler," e.g. "Can you grab me a beer from the chilly bin?"