INTRODUCTORY CLASS

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2021

 WHAT´S GRAMMAR?

WRITE YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF

GRAMMAR:
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As well as having a number of
misconceptions about the nature of
language, lay people often have a different
definition of the term GRAMMAR:
It is important at the outset to be
clear about the meaning of the
ambiguous term “grammar.”
In linguistics, grammar is used to
refer to the rules or principles by
which a language works, its system
or structure.
 Descriptive grammar
Attempts to formulate the speaker´s
grammar in a set of rules
Grammar
Prescriptive grammar
Prescribes (Dictates) Proscribes (forbids)

Certain ways of speaking

It is only in the prescriptive sense that we
can talk about “good” grammar or “bad”
grammar.

Prescriptive grammar involves value

judgments based on factors external to
language.
 Social class

Factors external
to language

Level of
education
The difference between preescriptive
grammar and descriptive grammar is
comparable to the difference between
constitutive rules and regulatory rules, which
control behavior (such as the rules of
etiquette).

If constitutive rules are If regulatory rules are

violated, the thing cannot violated, the thing works, but
work. crudely, awkwardly, or rudely.
I want to study English. (Prescriptive)

I wanna study English. (Descriptive)

Can we analyze the constituents of this

sentence?
 S
NP VP
N Aux VP₁
TE V InfP
Inf NP
N

I Pres want to study English

Reduced form wanna
PRAGMATICS