What is a Grammar?
Roger Fowler · 2016
Theword&s;grammar&s;inpresent-daylinguisticshasatleasttwo importantmeanings.Ontheonehand,wesaythataspeakerknows thegrammarofhislanguage.Heusuallydoesnotknowitconsciously-unlesshehassomespecialtraininginlinguistics,hecannot talkconfidentlyaboutthenatureofhisgrammar.Agrammarinthis firstsensecomprisesthelinguisticknowledgespeakerspossesswhich enablesthemtocommunicateintheirlanguage.&s;Grammar&s;hereisa psychological,mentalistic,concept.Thesecondsenserelatestothe linguist,nottothespeaker:thelinguistissaidtowriteagrammar ofthelanguage.Thisgrammarisaformal,explicit,descriptionofthe language.