Does Grammar Matter?

What is grammar according to linguistics?

• A guide for writing novels

• A list of words in a language

• A set of patterns for how words are put together

• A set of rules for proper speaking

What is the usual order of words in an English sentence?

• Subject, Object, Verb

• Object, Verb, Subject

• Subject, Verb, Object

• Verb, Subject, Object

What do prescriptivists believe about language?

• It is impossible to learn

• It should follow consistent rules

• It should constantly change

• It does not need rules

What is descriptivism?

• A strict set of language rules

• Describing how people actually use language

• A historical study of languages

• A method to learn new languages quickly

Why was written language standardized?

• To make it easier to forget

• To allow broader communication

• To limit the number of languages

• To make it more complex

What is considered the 'proper' form of a language?

• The form with the most words

• The standard form derived from a spoken variety

• The oldest form

• The most complex form

How do most of us learn to speak?

• By listening to music

• By memorizing rules

• Through unconscious habits

• By reading dictionaries

What does speech use besides words for meaning?

• Mathematical formulas

• Colors and shapes

• Mood and intonation

• Silence only

Why is prescriptivism useful?

• For informing about common patterns

• For making languages more difficult

• For stopping language change

• For reducing the number of languages