The study of the structure of words (also known as morphology), phrases, clauses, and sentences (also known as syntax). At word level, the grammarian is concerned with the changes in form that signal such features as case and number (eg mouse/mice, cat/cats); at phrase level, with the structure of such units as the very tall building (noun phrases) and may have been running (verb phrases); at clause and sentence level, with the order of such constituents as subject, verb, and object (the bear/ate/an apple) and the relationship between constructions, such as statement and question. Several types of grammar exist. A prescriptive grammar lays down conventions of usage regarded by some sections of society as being correct, such as Never end a sentence with a preposition. By contrast, a descriptive grammar describes actual usage patterns, without making value judgments about their social standing. A comparative grammar compares the grammatical features of languages that are genetically related, and a universal grammar investigates those grammatical features shared by the structure of all languages.
| Linguistics |
| Theoretical linguistics |
| Phonetics |
| Phonology |
| Morphology |
| Syntax |
| Semantics |
| Lexical semantics |
| Statistical semantics |
| Structural semantics |
| Prototype semantics |
| Stylistics |
| Prescription |
| Pragmatics |
| Applied linguistics |
| Psycholinguistics |
| Sociolinguistics |
| Generative linguistics |
| Cognitive linguistics |
| Computational linguistics |
| Descriptive linguistics |
| Historical linguistics |
| Comparative linguistics |
| Etymology |
| History of linguistics |
| List of linguists |
| Unsolved problems |
Grammar is the study of rules governing the use of language.
Grammatical devices
Affixation Derivation Reduplication Word orderGrammatical terms
| Adjective Attributive adjective and predicative adjective Adjunct Adverb Appositive Article Aspect Auxiliary verb Case Clause Closed class word Comparative Complement Compound noun and adjective Conjugation Conjunction Dangling modifier Declension Determiner | Dual (form for two) Expletive Function word Gender Gerund Infinitive Measure word (classifier) Modal particle Movement paradox Modifier Mood Noun Number Object Open class word Parasitic gap Part of speech Particle Person | Phrase Phrasal verb Plural Predicate(also verb phrase) Predicative (adjectival or nominal) Preposition Personal pronoun Pronoun Restrictiveness Sandhi Sentence (linguistics) Singular Subject Superlative Tense Uninflected word Verb Voice Wh-movement |
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