LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR

LANGUAGE is our primary source of communication, It is the method through which we share our ideas
and thoughts with others.

LANGUAGE is what makes us human. It is how people communicate. By learning a language, it means
you have mastered a complex system of words, structure, and grammar to effectively communicate with
others.

LANGUAGE helps us express our feelings and thoughts — this is unique to our species because it is a way
to express unique ideas and customs within different cultures and societies.

By learning a foreign language, you can understand ideas and thoughts that may be different from your
own culture. You can learn customs and how people interact in a given society. Language helps preserve
cultures, but it also allows us to learn about others and spread ideas quickly.

Six Elements of Language

Clarity: Using language in a way that ensures the intended audience fully understands your ideas; that
your ideas are clear.

Economy: Being ‘economic’ about how you speak by avoiding any unnecessary language. This means
using only the necessary and appropriate words to express yourself while avoiding using language your
audience won’t understand. Essentially, this means avoiding fluff or complicated vocabulary.

Obscenity: This refers to ‘indecent language’, including, but not limited to, curse words and hateful
remarks.

Obscure Language/Jargon: This is very specific language that your audience will not understand because
they are not familiar with what you are talking about. This could be when your car mechanic explains to
you what’s wrong with your car, but you are not a car mechanic, so you are unclear of what they’re
talking about.
Power: This is when someone uses language to exert power over someone to manipulate them,
command them, or to get them to do something they want. It could also be to demonstrate yourself as
an authority in the room.

Variety: This is a speaker’s ability to use a combination of all the different types of language
aforementioned to successfully and creatively get ideas across.

GRAMMAR

-Grammar is the set of rules which help us to understand language. Grammar is the structural
foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works,the more we can
monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language.

-The whole system and structure of a language or languages in general,usually taken as consisting of
syntax and morphology (including infections) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.

Importance of Grammar

-"Grammar is the structural foundation of our abiity to express ourselves. The more we are aware of
how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use
language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available
in English."

Types of Grammar

Prescriptive grammar

- is the set of rules people should follow when using the english language.

Example of common prescriptive rules:

•Do not use ain't

•Do not use a presposition to end a sentences with

•Pronouce the "ing" at end of words,not in

•Do not split infinitives

Descriptive grammar

- is how we describe the way people are using language.

Example:

Think about a prescriptive rule like don't split infinitives. A descriptive grammarian would see a sentence
like

•"Too bodly go where no man has gone before"

Six examples of grammar rules

1.)Semicolon use

- Semicolons are typically used to connect related ideas but often a new sentence (instead of a
semicolon) is more fitting.

2.)Ending a sentence with a preposition

- Some used to consider it wrong to end with a preposition (e.g. to, of, with, at, from), but now it’s
acceptable in most informal contexts.

3.)Splitting infinitives

- Avoid it in formal settings, otherwise, it’s fine.

4.)Beginning a sentence with because

- It’s ok as long as the sentence is complete.

5.)Subject-verb agreement -The verb of a sentence should match the subject’s plurality (or singularity).
6.)Passive voice

-In general, use active voice that means the subject acts upon the verb. In passive voice, the verb acts
upon the subject, resulting in a weaker sentence.