This document defines grammar as a set of rules for combining words into larger units in a language. It discusses traditional versus contemporary definitions of grammar, as well as conscious versus unconscious knowledge of grammar rules. Descriptive grammar aims to objectively describe a language's structural patterns, while prescriptive grammar provides do's and don'ts based on purity or pedagogical objectives. Some examples of common prescriptive rules are provided.

1. What is Grammar?
Contemporary Grammar of English
Haider Al-Mansury
Meeting # 02
Dec. 20, 2020

2. Traditional Definition
“Set of rules that allow us to combine words
in our language into larger units”.
Grammar = Syntax

3. 3
 Home computers are now much cheaper.
 Home computers now much are cheaper.
 Susan likes Tom.
 Tom likes Susan.

4. 4
Grammar as a set of rules:
Conscious Knowledge
vs.
Unconscious Knowledge

5. 5
Operational Grammar
vs.
Analytic Grammar

6. Descriptive rules vs. Prescriptive rules
Descriptive rules attempt to describe objectively
and systematically the structural patterns of a
language.
Prescriptive rules are partial descriptions of the
language based on puristic or pedagogical
objectives. They typically include do's and don't's
such as "Never end a sentence with a preposition"
or "Don't split infinitives."

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Examples of Prescriptive
Rules
 Don’t use like as a conjunction, as in
He speaks like his father does.
 Don’t use between you and I.
 Don’t split an infinitive, as in to actually feel.
 Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.

8. Exercise
 A good time was had by all of us.
 We weren’t sure if or not we were invited.
 We think that it is hot to sit in the sun.
 The large hall was containing over 500
people.
 Surprisingly, mushrooms are unusual to
find at this time of the year.

9. 9
Nelson, Gerald, and Sidney Greenbaum. An
introduction to English grammar. Routledge,
2018.
References