Fiducia TogetherStandard and non-standard English
The prestige variety, and everything else. A difference, not a deficit.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Standard English is the variety used in formal writing and broadcasting. Non-standard varieties include regional dialects and other grammatical systems.
Where it applies
English Language, and language study at A Level.
How it works
Non-standard forms are rule-governed, not errors. Linguists describe rather than prescribe, and attitudes to accent and dialect are themselves a topic — with real consequences for how people are judged.
How to use it in your work
In your own formal writing, use Standard English: it is assessed.
When analysing, never call a dialect wrong. Describe the feature and what it signals about identity and community.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification and mark scheme.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The English Exam Survival Song How to approach the English papers under time pressure.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.