Test #2 Answers

1. What is syntax?(2pts.)

      words relation to one another

2. The traditional grammar was derived from what language?(2pts.)

      Latin

3. Who was the father of transformational grammar and what were his beliefs? (5pts.)

      Noam Chomsky

      He believes that there is an underlying system of understanding language; all language starts inside.  He believes that language is deep inside us, it is innate, and it is universal.  Chomsky and his colleagues have formatted their own rules for transformational grammar.  These rules take a sentence with grammatical structure and turn it into a sentence with a different grammatical structure but still having the same meaning.

4. List the three periods of grammar. (6pts.)

5. Traditional grammar focuses on the form of the word.(4pts.)

6. Structural grammar is the use of vocabulary and syntax.(4pts.)

7. What are the eight parts of speech derived from traditional grammar?(16pts.)

8. Why can grammar be defined in many ways?(2pts.)  

         because it means different things to different people

9. Grammar is the more scientific aspect of the study of language. (4pts.)

10. Describe with details one of the three main periods of grammar. (5pts.)

         Traditional grammar focuses on the form of the word.  It was studied in the 16th century.  This grammar form was derived from the Latin language.  Traditional grammar works on identifying the parts of speech.  There are eight basic parts of speech derived from this traditional grammar.  They are: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.  These parts of speech come together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.  Also, the traditional grammar deals with correct spelling, pronunciation, word forms, and syntax.  All in all, traditional grammar is basically what most students know as grammar, the eight parts of speech and the basic English constructions.

        Structural grammar looks at the order of how things are put together, the parts of speech.  This form dates back to the 1800's.  Structural grammar is the use of vocabulary and syntax.  Structural grammar tries to describe the ways the words can be put together in formed sentences. This approach to grammar describes where the noun should be placed in the sentence rather than by their definition.  In essence, structural grammar is the structure of how the sentences and other constructions are put together.

        Also, transformational grammar developed in 1957 by Noam Chomsky.  Chomsky, and educator and linguist is said to be the "father" of transformational grammar.  He believes that there is an underlying system of understanding language; all language starts inside.  He believes that language is deep inside us, it is innate, and it is universal.  Chomsky and his colleagues have formatted their own rules for transformational grammar.  These rules take a sentence with grammatical structure and turn it into a sentence with a different grammatical structure but still having the same meaning.  As a result, Chomsky’s work has been highly controversial, rekindling the age-old debate over whether language is Universal and innate.

 

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