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How is Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar different from a prescriptive grammar or a set of rules?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
The fundamental difference between UG and prescriptive grammar is that UG is discovered -- like anything in science. People attempt to find out what the rules are that are shared by all human languages. That's UG.
Prescriptive grammar is imposed. It doesn't come from scientific investigation, it comes from random, often nonsensical declarations by self-appointed "experts".
UG is discovered. Prescription is made up. That's the difference. That's why one belongs to the realm of science and the other doesn't.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Chomsky's Universal Grammar is a theoretical framework that posits that all human languages share a common underlying structure. It focuses on innate language acquisition mechanisms in the human brain. In contrast, prescriptive grammar refers to rules imposed by authorities to dictate "correct" language use without necessarily reflecting how language is actually used or acquired by speakers.
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What statements about prescriptive and descriptive grammar is correct?
Prescriptive grammar focuses on establishing rules for "correct" language usage, often based on traditional norms or formal standards, while descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers. Both approaches have value: prescriptive grammar can set a standard for formal communication, while descriptive grammar helps linguists understand and analyze language as it naturally evolves.
What is the difference between descriptive grammar and prescriptive grammar?
Descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers, focusing on patterns and rules that are observed in natural language. Prescriptive grammar, on the other hand, prescribes rules and norms for how language should be used based on perceived standards of correctness or appropriateness.
Who are the prescriptive grammarians?
Prescriptive grammarians are individuals who advocate for strict adherence to traditional grammar rules and specific language usage. They believe in upholding language standards and view language evolution as a threat to linguistic correctness.
What is the difference between universal grammar and language universals?
Universal grammar refers to the innate set of linguistic principles that all human languages share, proposed by Noam Chomsky. Language universals, on the other hand, are patterns or features found across a wide range of languages that are not dependent on universal grammar. In essence, universal grammar is about the underlying structure of grammar in all languages, while language universals refer to common characteristics found in languages around the world.
What evidence has led some researchers to assume that Universal Grammar plays a crucial role in SLA?
Evidence such as the consistent sequence of grammatical acquisition across different languages by learners, linguistic universals found in all human languages, and the ease with which children acquire complex grammar structures suggest that Universal Grammar may play a crucial role in second language acquisition. Additionally, similarities in errors made by second language learners across different first language backgrounds also support the idea that some fundamental principles of Universal Grammar influence language learning.
Descriptive grammar and prescriptive grammar?
A descriptive grammar tries to describe the actual structures and forms of a language. A prescriptive grammar is essentially a list of linguistic do's and don'ts.
What is the difference between universal and local English grammar?
pronunciation are different. different meanings.
What is the difference between descriptive grammar and prescriptive grammar?
Descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers, focusing on patterns and rules that are observed in natural language. Prescriptive grammar, on the other hand, prescribes rules and norms for how language should be used based on perceived standards of correctness or appropriateness.
What statements about prescriptive and descriptive grammar is correct?
Prescriptive grammar focuses on establishing rules for "correct" language usage, often based on traditional norms or formal standards, while descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers. Both approaches have value: prescriptive grammar can set a standard for formal communication, while descriptive grammar helps linguists understand and analyze language as it naturally evolves.
What are the types of Chomsky grammar?
Different types of grammar. Stratificational grammar, transformational grammar, universal grammar, tagmemic grammar, phrase structure grammar, incorporating grammar, synthetic grammar, inflectional grammar, analytic grammar, distributive grammar, isolating grammar, traditional grammar, the new grammar*. -- (from Webster's New World Dictionary) RobbieWell, this question is harder to answer than it looks. Grammar can be subdivided in several different ways. (1) English education majors often study traditional, structural and generative grammars, which are different means of studying language. (2) On the other hand, you might be looking for standards of grammar, which would include prescriptive (rules of do and don't), descriptive (descriptions of what speakers and writers actually do), and formal (grammar used in computer programming). (3) Grammar, also, has several subfields: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
What is a Connection between the innateness hypothesis and the idea of a universal Grammar?
Universal grammar is a topic that has been researched in linguistics since the mid-20th century. The basic, fundamental structure of all human languages is very similar, in spite of the obvious differences in vocabulary and sound. This basic structure is called Universal Grammar. The innateness hypothesis is the idea that this Universal Grammar is present in all healthy human minds as a result of biological inheritance (in other words, grammar is innate).
What is the connection between the innateness hypothesis and the idea of a universal grammar?
the connect between innateness hypothesis and universal grammar is to speak we need innate hypothesis and this hypothesis not enough to speak well so we need something else which called universal grammar
What evidence has led some researchers to assume that Universal Grammar plays a crucial role in SLA?
Evidence such as the consistent sequence of grammatical acquisition across different languages by learners, linguistic universals found in all human languages, and the ease with which children acquire complex grammar structures suggest that Universal Grammar may play a crucial role in second language acquisition. Additionally, similarities in errors made by second language learners across different first language backgrounds also support the idea that some fundamental principles of Universal Grammar influence language learning.
Is it 'if someone were to' or 'if someone was to'?
As a matter of prescriptive grammar, they are functionally the same. There is no reason why one is right or the other is wrong. As a matter of descriptive grammar, we can say that the phrase "If someone were to" is almost 5 times more common than the other one.
What are all the universal grammar principles and parameters?
Grammar is specific for a language with its specific principles in syntactic structures to formulate a grammatical principle.Universal grammar does not exist unless one formulates universal artificial language with universal syntactic principles. The parameters of grammar are the agreement between the NP & VP along with the tense which again differs from one language to another. eg: certain Indo- Burma languages do not have finite verb.
What has the author Masataka Miyawaki written?
Masataka Miyawaki has written: 'James Harris's theory of universal grammar' -- subject(s): Comparative and general Grammar, Contributions in comparative and general grammar, Grammar, Comparative and general, History
What type of grammar should you use when sending email to different businesses?
very good grammar (proper grammar)
