In Grammar^x, Phonetics^x

Why can't someone come up with a workable phonetic alphabet for English. Here in France the Académie Française decides on matters of grammar and spelling. But maybe that has prevented the french language from developing and being more widely used by non-native speakers. Would anyone benefit from...

I haven't had a chance to study the entire thread yet, so I'm posting in media res. 1. All language is prescriptive (with the exception of phonetics, which has a demonstrable basis in anatomy); just like any other sort of social behavior. There are no "generative grammar" rules that are...

Prescriptive Grammar - Centuries of ErrorHOW GRAMMARS OF ENGLISH HAVE MISSED THE BOAT THERE'S BEEN MORE FLUMMOXING THAN MEETS THE EYE Charles-James N. Bailey Consider the possibility that English grammar has been misanalysed for centuries because of grammarians’ accepting fundamentally...

hehe, yeah, the difference is very UNsubtle! For all intents and purposes, Cantonese and Mandarin are 2 completely different languages. They're related, so they share a lot of common grammar rules and have some words that are similar...I'd say they're about as similar as French and Spanish. ...

If you want to be a doctor, or an architect, or an engineer or a lawyer, you'll have to study hard. Becoming a teacher is not different. It requires hard work. I think you should focus on every aspect of the language. Grammar is very important, of course. And putting grammar to practice is just...

Thank you for the welcome, Chris. Again, I think these forums are a great place to learn. I love the English language, and its history and its grammar are two aspects I've been very interested in since I started studying. My friends here -most of them teachers, as well- think I'm crazy because I...