ABSTRACT

Preceding chapters in this book have deal with the natural phenomena of language: how people make sounds, arrange the sounds into words that have meaning, and so forth. This chapter explores three kinds of language rules: native rules, which are linguistic rules that native users of a language know without being explicitly taught; dictated rules, which are formulated to represent what is “right” or “wrong” and are generally taught in English or language arts classes; and guidelines for better communication, which are style guidelines that allow you to express yourself clearly and coherently so that it’s easier for your audience to understand you. This chapter also examines how these rules change over time.