2026 LINA01 Introduction to linguistics Comprehensive exam notes key
concept University of Toronto
Linguistic Exam
Introduction to Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study obf language. It looks at how language
changes over time. Studies the sounds of language and words, how words can be
broken down into smaller units, and how to make meaningful sentences.
What is language?
- "A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a
community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It's all embodied
in a language."
Speaking a language means to communicate, speak and be understood by people.
Example: If I speak English, I can understand someone who speaks English
- Language is part of a culture. If a language dies, the culture dies
- The capability to produce sounds (or signs for deaf and mute people)
that have a certain meaning and to understand and interpret the signs
produced by others
- When speaking a language, you begin to understand which word
combinations are possible in that language
Competence vs. Performance
Linguistic knowledge is unconscious knowledge
- When speaking a language, you’re able to explain what constructions
(sounds, signs, words, sentences) are correct/incorrect but can't
explain why.
Competence is the unconscious knowledge. Its the knowledge you have
about the language you speak. What can and can't be said in your language?
, What is grammatically correct?
- Once you put this knowledge into speaking/comprehension, it becomes
performance.
Performance is the speaker's actual use of language (production and
comprehension). This is based on their linguistic competence, meaning they
can only perform whatever knowledge they have.
- Speaking, writing, and understanding are different methods of
performance.
- Performance can be affected by different factors, like stage fright.
Linguistic Knowledge: Language is a complex cognitive system.
, What is grammar?
Grammar is the set of rules that explains how words are used together to form
sentences in a language.
- Grammar → Mental Grammar
Mental Grammar is a complex of rules that governs how speakers organize sounds
into words and words into sentences. Mental grammar means competence.
There are five different components:
- Morphology: The study of words and words structure
- Syntax: Sentences and sentences structures
- Phonetics: What Sounds exist in language
- Phonology: What sound combinations are possible
- Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences
Descriptive vs. Prescriptive approaches to grammar
There are two approaches to grammar:
- Prescriptive comes from the word prescribe It's how you
should/shouldn't speak. Example: Me and John went to the movies.
BAD John and I went to the movies CORRECT
- Linguistics are descriptive; they focus on describing the language.
Using the same example above, they are both accepted just in different
contexts. The first is informal and not standard, while the second is
formal and standard
- Descriptive approach looks at how different groups of people
actually use language in various situations.
- No opinion about what is right or wrong; as long as a native
speaker uses it, it’s okay.
Descriptive linguistics disagrees with prescriptive rules by saying that all language
varieties are valid, each with their own rules. There's no reason to expect one
language to be like another. Languages change over time without losing their clarity
or value, and all languages borrow words from others.
Characteristics of grammar
- Generality means all languages and dialects have grammar, but peoples
grammatical systems differ in how they use structure rules
- Parity means all grammars are equal; no language is "primitive." Complex
linguistic features exist in societies without writing or electricity. There’s no
such thing as "good" or "bad" grammar—every grammar teaches how to
form and understand sentences. Some languages are seen as fancier and
therefore considered better.
concept University of Toronto
Linguistic Exam
Introduction to Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study obf language. It looks at how language
changes over time. Studies the sounds of language and words, how words can be
broken down into smaller units, and how to make meaningful sentences.
What is language?
- "A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a
community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It's all embodied
in a language."
Speaking a language means to communicate, speak and be understood by people.
Example: If I speak English, I can understand someone who speaks English
- Language is part of a culture. If a language dies, the culture dies
- The capability to produce sounds (or signs for deaf and mute people)
that have a certain meaning and to understand and interpret the signs
produced by others
- When speaking a language, you begin to understand which word
combinations are possible in that language
Competence vs. Performance
Linguistic knowledge is unconscious knowledge
- When speaking a language, you’re able to explain what constructions
(sounds, signs, words, sentences) are correct/incorrect but can't
explain why.
Competence is the unconscious knowledge. Its the knowledge you have
about the language you speak. What can and can't be said in your language?
, What is grammatically correct?
- Once you put this knowledge into speaking/comprehension, it becomes
performance.
Performance is the speaker's actual use of language (production and
comprehension). This is based on their linguistic competence, meaning they
can only perform whatever knowledge they have.
- Speaking, writing, and understanding are different methods of
performance.
- Performance can be affected by different factors, like stage fright.
Linguistic Knowledge: Language is a complex cognitive system.
, What is grammar?
Grammar is the set of rules that explains how words are used together to form
sentences in a language.
- Grammar → Mental Grammar
Mental Grammar is a complex of rules that governs how speakers organize sounds
into words and words into sentences. Mental grammar means competence.
There are five different components:
- Morphology: The study of words and words structure
- Syntax: Sentences and sentences structures
- Phonetics: What Sounds exist in language
- Phonology: What sound combinations are possible
- Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences
Descriptive vs. Prescriptive approaches to grammar
There are two approaches to grammar:
- Prescriptive comes from the word prescribe It's how you
should/shouldn't speak. Example: Me and John went to the movies.
BAD John and I went to the movies CORRECT
- Linguistics are descriptive; they focus on describing the language.
Using the same example above, they are both accepted just in different
contexts. The first is informal and not standard, while the second is
formal and standard
- Descriptive approach looks at how different groups of people
actually use language in various situations.
- No opinion about what is right or wrong; as long as a native
speaker uses it, it’s okay.
Descriptive linguistics disagrees with prescriptive rules by saying that all language
varieties are valid, each with their own rules. There's no reason to expect one
language to be like another. Languages change over time without losing their clarity
or value, and all languages borrow words from others.
Characteristics of grammar
- Generality means all languages and dialects have grammar, but peoples
grammatical systems differ in how they use structure rules
- Parity means all grammars are equal; no language is "primitive." Complex
linguistic features exist in societies without writing or electricity. There’s no
such thing as "good" or "bad" grammar—every grammar teaches how to
form and understand sentences. Some languages are seen as fancier and
therefore considered better.
