Actually David, what about another vantage on defining a sentence by its
grammatical traits:  a sentence is a grammatical structure defined in terms of
characteristics and constituents of that structure. In this way, it's not
circular, but internally consistent within the system.

This is indeed a clear, consistent account of a grammatical phenomenon.

rebecca

David D Mulroy wrote:

> Of course not!  Still, if a sentence is a grammatical term defined
> exclusively by other grammatical terms, I don't see how you can avoid
> circularity in your rigorous explanations of linguistic practice.  The
> approach seems to preclude the possibility of giving a clear, consistent
> account of the point of creating sentences in the first place, just like
> the approach of an imaginary auto mechanic who defines the function of
> every part of a car's engine in exclusively in terms of its other parts.
>
> On Mon, 11 Sep 2000, Johanna Rubba wrote:
>
> > Thanks, David. But I hope you don't lump me in with those people who
> > don't believe in teaching about what sentences are for .... !!!
> >
> > Johanna
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
> > English Department, California Polytechnic State University
> > One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
> > Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-259
> > • E-mail: [log in to unmask] •  Home page: http://www.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
> >                                        **
> > "Understanding is a lot like sex; it's got a practical purpose,
> > but that's not why people do it normally"  -            Frank  Oppenheimer
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >

--
*******************************************
Rebecca S. Wheeler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Christopher Newport University
1 University Place
Newport News, VA 23606-2998

Editor, Syntax in the Schools
The Journal of the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar (ATEG), an
assembly of the NCTE
http://www2.pct.edu/courses/evavra/ATEG/SiS.htm

phone: (757) 594-8891;  fax: (757) 594-8870
email: [log in to unmask]

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