Batstone 1.1 Why Grammar?

The question of how words van or cannot be combined in sentences is an important part of grammar, where it is the concern of syntax. Besides, through grammar we can specify the ways in which words can be systematically modified through such alterations and additions. These modifications are part of morphology, and together they help us to identify grammatical forms which serve to enhance and sharpen the expression of meaning. A study of grammar (syntax and morphology) reveals a structure and regularity which lies at the basis of language and enables us to talk about the language system. 1.2 Product of process There is a distinction between grammar as a product and grammar as a process. A product perspective on grammar is probably the most familiar to the majority of teachers, because when we consult a grammar book, we are likely to do something with certain expectations about how the material will be organized, because of the organization the grammarian will have done, according to the specifics topics, and they will structure their material depending on their particular way of seeing things. Yet they have in common a static perspective on grammar; the emphasis in on the component parts of the language system, divided up into separate forms. Each of them is the product of the grammarian s analysis. Therefore, we are talking about a formal grammar that deals with the mechanics of language system. However, there is another side of the coin because grammar is also a key element in the process of language use, and in this case we are taking into account a dynamic perspective on grammar. When we refer to grammar as process, we are thinking of a myriad ways in which it is deployed from moment to moment in communication and how we use grammar in life, which means that we are referring to a functional grammar. 2.1 Idealization When we make general statements about grammar we are idealizing about the language system, identifying broad patterns which effectively conceal some of the less orderly grammatical facts of specific examples. In other words, this means to go through something general into something specific. If we give a broad overview of grammar, we will deal with its broad patterns, active, passive, and up to there, it will look similarly ordered. However, if we look in depth, things will begin to be quite different; the previous clarity is giving away to something more denser and complex. We can think of this distinction between broad idealizations and the finer detail of actual instances. Therefore, at a more specific level, we can discover how the particular choice of words will limit the applicability of idealized grammatical rules. Grammarians aim to provide a clear and economical account of language structure, which means that a fair degree of idealization is necessary. 2.2 Grammar for meaning In order to survive human beings have always had to meet fundamental needs, including the need to get things done and to exchange basic information about the world around them. Grammar has evolved in order to express these need efficiently. In the case of exchanging the information, interrogatives and affirmatives facilitate it through questions and statements, while the imperative mood provides a convenient means for instructions and commands. Therefore, grammar is not a simply network, but a communicative device that is functionally motivated.