Linguistic Features in Communication
Grammaticality and ungrammaticality
When we think of grammar, we usually think of rules.
Parts of Grammatical Structural Functional Kinds/ Types of Other Features
Speech /Notional/ Definition Definition
Traditional
Definition
Noun Is a name of Has Subject, 1. Common- a kind of Some nouns can
person, grammatical or Direct Object, person, thing, or idea. have gender.
place, thing, inflectional Subject Noun -Count
of idea morphemes for Predicate, -Non-count/Mass
plural and Object Noun 2. Proper
possessive form Predicate, Indirect 3. Collective
Object, Appositives,
Object of the
Preposition,
Vocative
Verbs Denotes Can be inflected: Adding a verb to Intransitive, Verbs are marked for
action or ‘s, -ed, -ing, -en noun is enough to Transitive, number, only with
state of being Verbs follow complete a Ditransitive, subjects in the 3rd
nouns and may sentence. Linking Verb person singular.
be followed by
adjective,
adverb, or other
nouns
Adjectives Adjectives Commonly occur To modify or Attributive Can have inflectional
describe or between a complement nouns Predicative morphemes for
denote the determiner and comparative and
qualities of a noun, or after superlative forms
something be or other
linking verbs
Adverbs Modify verbs Can occur in To modify verbs or Direction, Manner, Can be a single word
and sentence finally, the whole sentence Location, Time, or multiword
contribute medially, and Frequency construction.
meaning to initially
sentences
Pronouns Refer to or Occupy the Take the place of a Subject,
replace a same position as noun or a noun Object,
noun and a noun or a phrase Reflexive, Possessive,
noun noun phrase Demonstrative
phrases
within a text
or as a direct
reference to
an outside
situation
Determiners Older Words that Limit the nouns Articles,
grammars appear before a that follow them Demonstrative,
make no noun except an Possessive
special adjective
reference
Prepositions Connect Ubiquitous in Signal spatial
words to nature relationship
other parts of
a sentence
Conjunctions Words that Can appear Connects words, Dependent,
join between words, phrases, and Independent
phrases, and clauses
clauses
Grammar
Not airtight formulations
Language is mutable – organic, even; therefore its categories and rules are often nondiscrete (Rutherford 1987;
Larsen-Freeman 1997).
Gives reasons, not rules for why language function as it does.
Form: How is it formed?
The Three Dimensions
(Accuracy)
Meaning: What does it mean?
(Meaningfulness)
Use: When/Why is it used?
(Appropriateness)
The Grammar Book. Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (2008)
Form Meaning Use
She was walking home from school that day when she ran into a friend.
He did not say anything.
He didn’t say anything.
He didn’t say nothing.
He no say.
I am going to buy that pen. It is only 50 pesos.
I am going to buy that pen. It is merely 50 pesos.
I am going to buy that pen. It is just 50 pesos.
Spelling matters
Comprehension and Communication
Distractions and Confusion
Preposition
to connect various parts of a sentence.
one of the most difficult grammatical items to master
Fewer and Less
Fewer – count nouns
People these days are buying fewer newspapers.
Fewer students are opting to study science-related subjects.
Less – non-count, measurement or time,
It’s a better job but they pay you less money.
People want to spend less time in traffic jams.
Mechanics
Possessive Form of the noun
Charles’s friend, Harry’s car, the tailor’s shop
Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names ending in –es and –is
Moses’ Laws – the laws of Moses
Isis’s Temple – the temple of Isis
Punctuation Marks
Holds the fabric of language in shape.
Traffic signs of language
Courtesy designed to help readers understand a story without stumbling
Without good grammar, clear communication is nearly impossible. Proper grammar keeps you from being
misunderstood while expressing your thoughts and ideas.
Writing and speaking correctly gives you the appearance of credibility. If you're attempting to build a reputation as an
expert in your profession, this is extremely important.
Other people consider good grammar to be a mark of intelligence and education. Don't allow strangers to form a
negative impression of you based on your poor communication skills.
Language ecology refers to the study of languages as dynamic systems within a broader social, cultural, and
environmental context. It focuses on how languages interact with each other, how they adapt to changes in society, and
how they are affected by political, economic, and cultural forces. This approach emphasizes that languages do not exist
in isolation but are influenced by various factors including migration, globalization, technology, education policies, and
political power dynamics.
Linguistic Diversity: Language ecology focuses on the diversity of languages and how different linguistic
communities coexist.
In any multilingual community, languages come into contact with one another. This interaction can lead to
various phenomena such as code-switching (alternating between languages), pidginization (simplified languages that
develop as a means of communication between speakers of different languages), and creolization (the development of a
stable, fully developed language from a pidgin). These interactions show how languages influence one another, borrow
elements (vocabulary, grammar), or adapt to meet the needs of the speakers.
Language ecology examines processes such as language shift, where speakers of a minority language abandon it
in favor of a more dominant language (often due to socio-economic pressures, migration, or assimilation policies).
Conversely, language maintenance efforts focus on preserving and revitalizing minority or endangered languages.
Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure and formation of words. It focuses on how
words are composed of smaller meaningful units called morphemes, which are the smallest grammatical units in a
language. Morphemes can be classified as:
Phonology is the branch of linguistics that deals with the study of the sound systems of languages. It focuses on
how sounds function within a particular language or across languages to convey meaning. Phonology is concerned with:
Syntax is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure of sentences and the rules that govern the
arrangement of words and phrases in a language. It focuses on how words are combined to form grammatically correct
and meaningful sentences.
Semantics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences. It focuses
on how meaning is constructed, interpreted, and understood in language. Key areas of semantics include:
Pragmatics is the branch of linguistics that studies how context influences the interpretation of meaning in
language. It goes beyond the literal meanings of words and phrases (semantics) to examine how speakers use language
in real-world situations and how listeners interpret what is meant, rather than just what is said.
