Writer's Choice Grade 12

Unit 22: The English Language

Overview

All languages have similarities. For example, any idea can be expressed in any language. All languages have nouns, verbs, and a way to show the relative time that an event occurred. Phonemes are the basic sounds that make up all languages, and many of the same sounds are found in a large number of languages. Other sounds are used in only a few languages.

Syntax identifies the conventions used to combine words into acceptable sentences. In English the preferred word order for declarative sentences is subject-verb-object. Adjectives precede the noun they modify. Although nouns have gender in some languages, gendered nouns have generally disappeared in the English language.

Pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary differ from one English-speaking country to another. Even if a word is used in several English-speaking countries, the meaning of the word may vary.

Lingua franca is a language that allows people with different first languages to communicate. Over the centuries, English has become a lingua franca–and sometimes the official language–in various countries around the world.