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] *******************************************