Janet asks a good question, and one I have been wracking my brain around...

My assumption has always been that language is innate, and the potential to
acquire grammar is *(probably)* innate, but that grammar in and of itself
needs to be learned...

Or am I remembering all that wrong? *wink*  It is possible!

-patty

-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 6:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mixed construction (was A short note on...)

Just out of curiosity, did Chomsky ever actually say that grammar was
innate?  Or did he say the potential to acquire grammar was innate?
Wouldn't that be a very different thing?

Janet Castilleja

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