INTRODUCTION

TO LINGUISTICS
C A R M I N A B . E C H AV I A
WHAT IS GRAMMAR?

Grammar includes a full description of the form and

meaning of sentences, i.e. the sounds and sounds patterns,
units of meaning, as well as the rules which combine the
words to make new sentences.
GRAMMAR AS A PRESCRIPTIVE
COMPILATION FOR THE USE OF A
PARTICULAR LANGUAGE
• deals with the setting of rules about the structure of a
language
• deals with the “correct” forms of a language that people
should use both in speaking and writing.
GRAMMAR AS A DESCRIPTION OF A
PARTICULAR LANGUAGE

• does not tell people how they should speak, or what is good
or bad language use.
• describes the speaker’s possibility of speaking and
understanding language as it actually is and not as others think
it should be.
 MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• Myth #1: Children learn to speak through explicit

teaching or memorization
MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• Myth #2: Animals have language just like humans

MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• Myth #3: Reading and writing are an essential

part of language
MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• Myth #4: Some languages/dialects are more

complex or better than others
MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• Myth #5: Languages deteriorate over time