Describing languages

Question 1

Language

Answer 1

species specific
humans have innate capacity for language
human language inform about societies and cognition

Question 2

Grammar

Answer 2

set of mental rules needed to produce well-formed sentences in a given language
- phonetics - sounds of the words
- phonology - sounds combine to form the lang
- morphology - how words built and changed
- syntax - how sentences put together
–> grammar - structural competence in a lang

Question 3

language is rule governed:

Linguistics

descriptive lingustics - discovering languages rules

Answer 3

= the empirical science of language
- evidence based and testable
- gather data from a language:
- empirical observations
- build theories
- test them with native speakers and new data
- refine theories

Question 4

Recursion rule

Answer 4

infinite sentences can be formed
- a structure can include a structure of its own type

Question 5

Recursive structures

Answer 5

• phrase structure notation
• S = NP + VP - a sentence is made up of a noun phrase followed by a verb phrase
• VP –> V + NP
• NP –> DET (the) + N + CP
• CP –> COMP (that, whether, if) + S

rule to remove repeat embedded verbs-this ishouse I built the house th

Question 6

Tag question rule

floor to another speaker

Answer 6

Tag question rule - version 1
take the first verb
Append it to the end of the sentence
Change its polarity - from negative to positive or vice versa eg. Un-negate if is already negated
Add a pronoun copy of the subject

eg.* This lecture* is exciting,** isn’t** it?

this is good for auxillaries eg. can, cant it?
ungrammatical for others eg. work, worksnt it?

Question 7

Tag question rule revised

Answer 7

If verb is BE or an auxiliary - take it and append it
- Eg. This is interesting — this is interesting, isn’t it?

Otherwise, append DO instead (matching in tense with first verb)
- Eg. This rule works — this rule works, doesn’t it?

Steps:
If the first verb is BE or an AUX, append it to the end of the sentence
Otherwise, append DO and match first verbs tense
Change append verb’s polarity
Add a pronoun copy of the subject

Question 8

Descriptive rules

Answer 8

• describe speakers mental grammar
• describes what speakers do/dont do (observation)
• explaining how language is used

eg. tag question and recursion rules. put adjective before the noun they describe. words cant start with the ng sound.

Question 9

Prescriptive rules

Answer 9

• how language ‘should’ be used
• what speakers should/shouldnt do
• perceptions
• ## if its not describing the data, it is prescriptive

eg. dont start a sentence with ‘and’. dont say there’s two, say there are two.

Question 10

is it de or pre scriptive??

Answer 10

Does the stated rule reflect what native speakers really do?
If yes - rule may be a valid descriptive rule
If no - rule is not a valid descriptive rule - must be prescriptive!

eg. split infinitives, double negatives