GRAMMAR
This type of grammar describes how language is actually used rather than prescribing how it should be used.
DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR
The distinction between competence and performance was introduced by this linguist
Boy eats the bread
Incorrect "The boy eats the bread"
A speaker knows that “She go to school” sounds wrong, even if they cannot explain why
Competence
This concept refers to a speaker’s internal knowledge of their language, distinct from actual language use.
LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE
Refers to a set of organized words that function as a unit.
Syntactic structure
She can solve the problem
Correct
A speaker says “I mean… the dog… the cat ran away” because they got distracted
Performance
Grammar allows speakers to produce and understand an unlimited number of sentences using a finite set of rules.
Linguistic productivility
This refers to a speaker’s internal knowledge of language
Competence
She opened the door.
Correct
A person forgets the end of a long sentence due to memory limitations.
Grammar is not a list of school corrections, but a system that native speakers unconsciously possess.
Internal grammar
This refers to actual language use in real situations
Performance
Thev dogs is running.
Incorrect "the dogs are running"
A child produces a sentence they have never heard before but it is grammatically correct.
A sentence may be meaningful but still violate these structural principles.
Grammatical rules
Performance may be affected by memory limitations or ----
Distractors
I saw yesterday the movie.
Incorrect "I saw the movie yesterday."
A speaker consistently forms correct plural nouns in English without consciously thinking about the rule.
Competence