In recent years a considerable amount of interest has developed in language variability and in the educational problems connected with it. This volume is a report of linguistic research on the variable language behavior in a community of American English speakers, specifically on some aspects of tense marking in Black English. The following topics are discussed: (1) the status of tense marking in Black English, (2) the unity of Black English, (3) correlation with social factors, and (4) application of variable rule theory. General section headings are: "Past Tense,""Present Tense,""Distributive 'be',""Grammatical and Phonological Variation," and "Correlation with Social Factors." A study of noun plural absence by Carolyn Kessler is appended, as well as a sample questionnaire and a list of speakers. (AM)