"tm 2. Byrne “xglish Teachiag Ponpectties *
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CCagman THY
1.8 Grammar and.Lexis
‘What causes us to draw a distinction between grammar and lexis is
the variable ange ofthe possiblities that arse at eiferent places
the language
Tn some instances we fee a choice among avery small mmber of
possiblities This happens for instance when we heve to choose
betwen this’ and ‘that or between singular and plural or between
‘ast, present and future; or between postive and aegativeThete a
soine paces in every language whete we ave to inte such choice,
we cannot avoid them or femain neutral, ad there is limited
number of possiblities to choose Irom. Moreover the range of
thoice is exhaustive: where ‘pestive’ canbe chosen ‘negatives the
‘only possible alternative, There are other places, however where we
ae choosing from a very large number ef posiblites, we cannot
‘count them, or draw a clear line ound thet soch e wil separate
‘whats possible from whatis impossible, Ina clase wich begins he
as sitting on the, certain items chai settee, bench, stool and
50.0 are quite likely to follow, but very many others are perfect
Boab, ad probebly no two peopl would ape on the unared
fost likely items
“This is the basis of the diference between grammar and lexis
Grammar isconcerned with choices ofthe first Kind, wher her isa
small fied numberof possiblities anda clear line between what i
Possbleand what isnot The second kind of ehoice ithe domain oF
foie
isnot the cas, however, that al choies in language are clearly
‘of one type othe other, closed or open, What we find is eal
sradient, of ‘line’ that is, there is 8 continuous gradation in the
Patterns of formal choice in language. At one end we have alge
fnumber of systems interacting with each other in highly complet
‘ways, but with a small numberof fixed possiblities in each: here we
ar clerly in grammar. At the other end, we have open et, a very
Simple interrelations with each other but witha much wider fangs of
choice in each, whose limit are hard to define: here we are equally
leary in lexi. But every language has choices wich are round
bout the middle ofthis ein, where the number of possibilities is
limited but large and the interaction of one choice with others itll
fairly comples. Instances of items entering into choices of this
intermediate type in English aren at, on, under i, seing thas,
Provided that, in case, often, never, sometimes, eoays
Language, therefore, doesnot draw a clear distinction
srammar and lens. Ta the formal pattern of language, closed
‘jstems in complex inlerelations, atone end of the seal, shade
fradually into open sets in simple interrelations at the’ other.
Linguistics, however isto drawa line, beoaus these two types of
phenomenon need diferent theories (o account for ther: thes (2
fy, ne cannot account for bath patterns of the grammatie! typ
and pattems of the lexical type with the sire categories ad
Telatons. This has been recognised since the earliest days of
linguistics we aki for granted that we need Both grammar and =
onary to deserbe the form fa anguage, though we ma seldom
ask how they dies,
MAK Halliday, A McIntosh & P Strevens
The Linguistic Sciences and Language Teaching (Longman 1962)
21-22
1 This is she bass of the dierence between grammar and lexis!
Aine 29.
4 Expltn the distintion whieh the authors draw betwes
grammar and leis, 2
» Give other examples of grammatical ystems and lexial sets.
2 The authors say that al choices in language are on a ‘line’.
2 What do they mean by the term ‘line?
1b How does it help to explain, for example the status of
prepositions?
3. ‘Weneedbotha grammar anda dletonary a desenbe the form of
language though ne may seldom ask how they dir (nee 89-51),
rom your reading ofthis passage, explain the diference between
he two,
44 How i the distinction between grammar and lexis relevent to
language teaching?
LR Quisk The Use of English (Longman 196).
2 AE Darbyshice Description af English (Arnold 1967)
Chapter &