English grammar: Difference between revisions
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== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
'''English grammar''' is a set of rules that attempt to describes the structural principles of the [[English language]]. While grammar is often conceived of as a set of instructions that explains how to form 'proper' [[sentence|sentences]], this is only one sense of the term. In modern [[linguistics]], it is used to refer to a complete system of a [[language]] that enables its speakers to understand and produce meaningful utterances. This means that while English [[teaching|teachers]] might want to instruct students about how to form a [[plural]] (e.g. "Add an ''s'' to the end of a [[noun]]"), linguists would be more concerned with | '''English grammar''' is a set of rules that attempt to describes the structural principles of the [[English language]]. While grammar is often conceived of as a set of instructions that explains how to form 'proper' [[sentence|sentences]], this is only one sense of the term. In modern [[linguistics]], it is used to refer to a complete system of a [[language]] that enables its speakers to understand and produce meaningful utterances. This means that while English [[teaching|teachers]] might want to instruct students about how to form a [[plural]] (e.g. "Add an ''s'' to the end of a [[noun]]"), linguists would be more concerned with placing such changes in the context of a larger model of grammar which is attentive to how language in general is generated, altered, and comprehended. The technical difficulty of such an undertaking -- particularly with a language such as English which has a relatively high proportion of irregular and inconsistent usage -- has deepened the differences between these two senses of the term. | ||
Linguists usually view examples of both 'good' and 'bad' grammar as intrinsically valid, whether or not they conform to the ostensible 'standard'. This [[Descriptive linguistics|descriptive]] view is often at odds with everyday uses of the word 'grammar', where it is understood to refer to rules that have to be learned. This association of 'grammar' with 'correctness' is a [[Linguistic_prescriptivism|prescriptivist]] view. | Linguists usually view examples of both 'good' and 'bad' grammar as intrinsically valid, whether or not they conform to the ostensible 'standard'. This [[Descriptive linguistics|descriptive]] view is often at odds with everyday uses of the word 'grammar', where it is understood to refer to rules that have to be learned. This association of 'grammar' with 'correctness' is a [[Linguistic_prescriptivism|prescriptivist]] view. | ||
Revision as of 07:11, 19 April 2007
Introduction
English grammar is a set of rules that attempt to describes the structural principles of the English language. While grammar is often conceived of as a set of instructions that explains how to form 'proper' sentences, this is only one sense of the term. In modern linguistics, it is used to refer to a complete system of a language that enables its speakers to understand and produce meaningful utterances. This means that while English teachers might want to instruct students about how to form a plural (e.g. "Add an s to the end of a noun"), linguists would be more concerned with placing such changes in the context of a larger model of grammar which is attentive to how language in general is generated, altered, and comprehended. The technical difficulty of such an undertaking -- particularly with a language such as English which has a relatively high proportion of irregular and inconsistent usage -- has deepened the differences between these two senses of the term.
Linguists usually view examples of both 'good' and 'bad' grammar as intrinsically valid, whether or not they conform to the ostensible 'standard'. This descriptive view is often at odds with everyday uses of the word 'grammar', where it is understood to refer to rules that have to be learned. This association of 'grammar' with 'correctness' is a prescriptivist view.
The traditional model of grammar commonly taught in US elementary and secondary schools uses the model of the parts of speech. Within this model, parts of speech are seen as discrete categories: verb, noun, pronoun, adverb, and so on. Within linguistics, however, a different set of models, based more on the function of words rather than their categorization, is preferred. Particularly with English, the model is useful, as we have so many words capable of functioning as several different 'parts of of speech.' The word fish, for instance, can function as a verb, a noun, or an adjective, depending on its syntactic position in a sentence.
Models of Grammar
There are different models of grammar. The two most common ones are prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar. Prescriptive grammar explains the rules of a language. It is like a prescription, it tells you how to use the language. "In linguistics, prescription is the laying down or prescribing of normative rules of the language. This is in contrast to description of language, which has no normative component. For example, a descriptive linguist working in English will try to describe the usage, distribution, and history of "ain't" and "h-dropping" neutrally, without judging them as good or bad, superior or inferior. A prescriptivist (one who is prescriptive), on the other hand, will judge whether or not these forms meet some criterion of intelligence, rationality, aesthetics, or conformity to a standard dialect, and, if not, will condemn them, prescribing that they not be used." prescriptive grammar[1]
Descriptive grammar describes how people use the language. This type of grammar documents how people use the language in daily life. "A descriptive grammar looks at the way a language is actually used by its speakers and then attempts to analyse it and formulate rules about the structure. Descriptive grammar does not deal with what is good or bad language use; forms and structures that might not be used by speakers of Standard English would be regarded as valid and included. It is a grammar based on the way a language actually is and not how some think it should be."descriptive grammar [2]
Parts of Speech Overview
This section provides definitions for the different parts of speech. Each part is explained in detail in a later section.