Syntactic Rules Of English Language

1. Language is defined as a group of symbols that are controlled by a distinct set of rules, including phonological rules, syntactic rules, sematic rules, and pragmatic rules, that are used in order to communicate and receive a message. Phonological rules control how words sound when spoken. We often don’t even realize when we are using this rule because we are so accustomed to our native languages. In the English language we have a multitude of words that are spelled the same but that are pronounced in multiple ways. For example, the word lead can be pronounced as “led” or by emphasizing the e in “lead,” to make it sound like “leed.” Another rule that governs language is syntactic rules, which controls the way symbols are arranged. It is often …show more content…
Language shapes attitudes through four methods. Naming, for instance, is how my brother-in-law named his biracial daughter “Jo’Niyia” because “Stephanie” was “too white” of a name. Language shapes attitudes through credibility. One example of that is when my sister was up for a promotion, and the reason, aside from experience, was the two separate college degrees that the two candidates had. They both had equal experience as well as productivity. However, “on paper” the other person got the position based on her paper degree. An example of status is, if a man in a suit walks in to a concert, he will most likely be treated with more respect than a person in a T-shirt and jeans, because this person appears to be “important.” Sexism and racism are apparent in our every day lives. For example, I have a brother-in-law who is black. He is treated completely different when he is with his “black” family than he is with his “white” family. Everything from his restaurant treatment to getting bothered at gas stations, it is