grammar myths
The degree of ‘grammarness’ of a language is determined by the complexity of its inflectional morphology
the morphology myth
The conventional direct content and function of a grammatical unit (e.g. –s when added to noun signals plurality)
Conceptual (or semantic) meaning
Word order
How sentences are structured
syntax
•[S V] – They slept
intransitive
a “version” of a language which has its own ‘language system’.
variety
Essentially a set of rules, grammar is all about what is correct and incorrect in language use.
the normative myth
The ability of a grammatical form to signal social identity (among other things)
Social meaning
Considered the central unit of syntax
a complete idea
"everything between two full stops"
sentences
•[S V DO] – I will find you and I will kill you
monotransitive
User-related varieties
linked to one's social identity
lects
Speech is a degenerated or perverted version of writing.
That is, we find correct grammar in writing and incorrect grammar in speech.
the writing myth
The meaning that a grammatical unit is assigned in situations of use
Pragmatic meaning
what sentences are made of
clauses
•[S V IO DO] – The lady bought her child an ice cream
ditransitive
words have different meanings in everyday language and specialized register
semantic variation
Educated people are better at using correct grammar than uneducated people are
-- consequently, people who use incorrect grammar are dumb.
the education myth
Grammar can be used as a means of binding together different parts of a text
Textual/cohesive meaning
what clauses are made of
clause constituents
•[S V DO OC] – They considered the old man a fool
complex transitive
English used in the world of research, study, teaching and universities.
Academic English
He hates Fyn!
Kim
a sense of “sammenhæng” in a text (i.e. the text feels like a coherent whole)
developed through the use of repetition of words, the use of synonyms, the use of related words etc.
and/or
the use of grammatical units and structures to generate cohesion.
Lexical and grammatical cohesion
verbal inflected for person, number, and mood
finite
•[S V SC] – I’m Batman!
linking/copula
“Are you fresh?”
“Can I borrow the toilet?”
"Will you loan my umbrella?"
Danglish