Grammar Basics (OMG why is it like this?)

I just posted about how I really wanted to learn the intricacies of the English Language. Then I read the chapter and am all of a sudden wavering in my resolve. No wonder the textbook (English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior 3rd Ed.) prefaced the chapter with a very long explanation of Why and How we study language. In a nutshell, it goes like this:

• Language is important as it holds value socially and educationally
• Like, what do you think of a person that says "ain't" over someone that says "am/is not"
• "I ain't about that life" vs. "I am not about that life" or "I ain't over him yet" vs "I am not over him yet"
• There is no official authority on how English must be
• Who decides what is right or what is wrong?
• Because of the large amounts of groups and individuals who use English, standardization of one variation under one authority is impossible
• Unless we want real grammar Nazi's and persecution of people who say "who" instead of "whom". I don't think we want that
• Language is constantly changing
• huge impact of internet and instant messaging
• Seriously, kids are pretty much anti-establishment. If adults something is the straight and narrow, it's not cool. Thus, slang, and if something is used enough, it becomes mainstream.

Result: We should study language to understand the dynamics of it and its impact on society because it is this important thing that people care about. 

So here is what I understand:

Constituents - Language is made up of these things. Parts. Components. Constituents are words or groups of words that somehow belong together. They make sense. 

Those parts are organized in a heriarchy. At the bottom you have roots and affixes. These are the base form of words and the attachments that change the word meaning. Then there are the words themselves, roots combined with affixes. Then phrases, groups of words that go together as a noun phrase or verb phrase. Then when a noun phrase and verb phrase combine you get clauses. Finally, you can have a combination of independent and dependent clauses that make sentences.

It's like how atoms make molecules, molecules make compounds, compounds make mixtures, etc.

Then there's the rules and regulations that make sense of everything - the SYNTAX.

(that word is so intimidating)

Syntax is broken up into three major categories: Lexicon, Word Order, Inflectional Morphology

Lexicon consists of word classes. This is the stuff we learned in elementary (or grammar) school. Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, etc. 

Word Order - words are arranged in order of their grammatic and functional meanings. These are unmarked word orders. However, when writers or speakers move the words around to create emphasis or voice, then this is marked order. 

Inflectional Morphology - finally, the way that individual words make sense is the use of morphology. Function words include minor word classes like prepositions and articles that make sense of the main words....like stuffing in a turkey. The turkey is great on its own, but the stuffing helps keep it all together and making sense as a meal. (Arguably, stuffing is great on its own too, but that makes this analogy fall apart) Then, grammatical morphemes like affixes help to distinguish tense, aspect, voice, modality, and mood.

I don't want to be late for a test on this but this is all I can process at the moment. I'll update this post afterwords....probably with a drink. Wish me luck

I use language because I care

This strip from one of my favorite webcomics just so happened to appear just as I was considering starting up writing again, this time as a writing assignment for my English Grammar class. It illustrates perfectly (or perfectly illustrates?) this feared and abhorred Grammar Nazi mindset of educated individuals. As I learn more about our language and explore all the nooks and crannies of our English, I run the risk of becoming one of these who persecute those who do not adhere to the latest rules speaking. However, that is not my intent.

I want to learn language because, as the comic implies, it is one of the main means of connecting with others. I remember a scene from the movie The Dead Poet's Society in which the character played by Robin Williams (you're free, genie) stated that "language was invented for one reason...to woo women." While I do not seek any romantic companionship as a result of my studying language, I acknowledge it as such a powerful force that it deserves scrutiny. How is it that we give meaning to utterances of sounds and syllables? Why do we put value on certain words? What is their origin and how are they transformed from morpheme to morpheme? I'll admit, I don't know, but if understanding language as a means communication will connect me to other human beings and I can bring others into the fold so we aren't so alone, then I'm happy to pay the price. (Seriously, I didn't know an English class could cost so much.)