language. It usually takes into account the meanings and functions these
sentences have in the overall system of the language. It may or may not
include the description of the sounds of a language (see phonology,
phonemics).
see also morphology, semantics, syntaxgrammar^2
(in generative grammar) a grammar which describes the speaker’s
knowledge of the language. It looks at language in relation to how it may be
structured in the speaker’s mind, and which principles (see universal
grammar) and parameters are available to the speaker when producing
the language.
see alsocore grammar, i-language, universal grammar
grammar checker n
a program which checks certain grammatical and mechanical aspects of
writing (see mechanics) such as the use of passive forms, concord, and
punctuation. Though useful for native speakers, these programs are often
less beneficial for second language users, due to the bewildering array of
options they provide.
grammar clusters n
in writing, the co-occurrence of certain grammatical forms within a specific
genre (type) of writing: for example, chronological transitions, the use of
personal pronouns, and specific uses of present, past, and past-progressive
forms often occur in narrative writing.
grammaring v
sometimes used to refer to the process by which language learners use gram-
mar to create messages through grammaticalizing or adding grammar to a
sequence of words to create finer meaning distinctions. The linguist Diane
Larsen-Freeman proposed grammaring as an important process in second
language acquisition. Grammaring emphasizes grammar as a dynamic
process rather than a system of rules.
Grammar Translation Method n
a method of foreign or second language teaching which makes use of trans-
lation and grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities.
The Grammar Translation Method was the traditional way Latin and
Greek were taught in Europe. In the nineteenth century it began to be used
to teach “modern” languages such as French, German, and English, and
grammar