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
St
sentence
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
SUB
subordinator
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
par
paratagm
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
CND
coordinand
There is only one correct version of language.
Any language that deviates from this version
is incorrect or degenerated.
monolithic myth
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
PC
prepositional complement