Carnie's Chapter One regarding Generative Grammar focuses on how we study the structure of language, or syntax. The study of language also uses the scientific method in creating a testable hypothesis, testing them using corpora, and refining the hypothesis as testing continues. When is comes to creating hypotheses (or rules regarding syntax), we have to understand how we understand and learn language. Conscious knowledge is learned, subconscious language is acquired, and some aspects about language are simply innate, or built into our brains.
This immediately made me think of my mother's hometown in rural Pennsylvania, where the syntax is so different from mine. Common ways of speaking includes pairing "ain't no" and "we like them shoes." If I were to write a hypothesis about this, I might be able to say: In some areas of rural Pennsylvania, the syntax regarding double negatives and improper use of plurals is an acquired aspect of language.
I could test this by looking at corpora of language in these areas of Pennsylvania as well as different areas around the country. In this aspect I might focus on the use of double negatives and improper plurals. In addition, to focus on the acquired aspect, I could complete a study regarding how this language is acquired. Is it from school, parents, friends, etc? Where does cognitive science have a role in this?
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