Structural grammar analyzes language by examining how sentence elements are put together, with the relationships between elements being more significant than any single element. It was developed in the early 20th century by Ferdinand de Saussure, who believed that the systematic structure of language was the link between thought and sound. Structural grammar is important for improving clarity in communication and is used in language research, education, and marketing. Second language learners use it to compare the structures of two languages, and teachers use it in language and composition lessons. It is distinct from transitional and transformational grammar.
Structural grammar is a means of analyzing written and spoken language. It deals with how sentence elements such as morphemes, phonemes, sentences, clauses and parts of speech are put together. Under this form of linguistic analysis, it is how these elements work together that is most important, since the relationships between elements typically carry greater significance than any single element. Studying this method is therefore an important tool for improving clarity in communication.
History
The study of the selection and arrangement of sentence elements is relatively new compared to other linguistic studies. It developed in the early 20th century, especially from the 20th to 1930. Linguists generally consider Ferdinand de Saussure to be the father of analysis. He believed that individual units within spoken and written communication were largely arbitrary, such as the same object having many different titles in different languages. His concept therefore was that the best way to study language was to look at its systematic structure, which was actually the link between thought and sound.
Key principles
Structural grammar operates on the assumption that what is seen on the surface is also the direct meaning behind the words of a sentence. Everything is accepted verbatim and verbatim, and no attempt is made to identify implied meanings. The fact that the choice and arrangement of sentence elements creates an absolute meaning makes structural grammar a foundation for understanding. Once a person has the absolute meaning, he can look beyond the implied meaning if he wishes.
Experts accept that the way to change what is communicated is to alter the elements and their arrangement in the sentence. They point out that a correct sentence structure allows you to communicate without confusion and to comply with community rules. In this sense, structural grammar can be seen as an important tool for uniting and keeping people together.
Acquisition
People begin learning to choose and arrange sentence elements very early in life. As children, people learn to produce the basic sounds of their language, which allows them to express rudimentary needs and desires. This expands into whole words, and eventually children master the basics of sentence construction and learn how to use specific words in a particular way. The more sounds and words a child learns and the more he can put them together, the more complex ideas he can convey.
Most individuals naturally employ the rules of their language from adulthood. They understand collections of sounds and words easily. Adults become more picky about how they string sentences together, as they want to be efficient, appear intelligent, and avoid misunderstandings and hurt feelings. They think ahead and often avoid sounds, words or the placement of words that could be misunderstood or seen as politically incorrect in the current social context.
Linguists have recognized the sequence of language structure acquisition for many years. However, they are still not entirely sure how a person’s brain acquires language and derives absolute meaning from it. Research in this area is still ongoing in hopes of improving language development.
Applications
Some language professionals look at how sentences are put together in language research, as they can glean some clues about how a person is learning a language based on the sounds and arrangements they select. This type of research provides vital insight into what a person can and cannot understand at different age levels. It can alter how an individual communicates based on their audience and has a strong connection to both education and marketing.
Second language learners also find sentence construction analysis useful. They use it in a method called comparative analysis, where they see how the elements and structures of the two languages are the same or different. It is important because sometimes a person has to abandon the ingrained structural rules of his mother tongue in order to employ the second language correctly. In English, for example, adjectives precede the words they modify. In French, they generally follow the modified words. Using the right words but with the wrong arrangement is a telltale sign that someone is not a native speaker.
Teachers also use structural grammar in language and composition lessons. In the past, educators taught people how to improve sentences and communication through techniques like sentence diagramming. Academic professionals still use these methods. The trend, however, is for teachers to combine structural and transformative grammar and teach the language with other techniques, such as asking students to rephrase certain sentences.
Compare
People often confuse the study of sentence elements and arrangement with transitional and transformational grammar. The transition method looks at the arrangement of the elements of the sentence, but it is mainly about moving from one idea or sentence to another in a logical and clear way. The transformational approach looks beneath the surface of the words used in the sentence. Try to identify any meaning implied and expressed in the arrangement of words. This approach is also generally regarded as the logical progression in understanding written and spoken word, taking the parsing process one step beyond the confines of structural grammar.
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