Language Thinking Lab by Tymur Levitin

Language Thinking Lab Grammar is only the first question. Human communication continues after grammar has finished its work. There is a peculiar moment in language learning when a student proves that a sentence is correct. The grammar works. The vocabulary works. Nothing appears to be missing. And yet the person they are speaking to hesitates. Or smiles. Or answers a slightly different question. Or asks: “What do you mean?” This can be deeply frustrating. The learner thinks: But I said it correctly. And perhaps they did. That is precisely the problem. Because a sentence can be correct at one level and unsuccessful at another. Imagine a Very Simple Question You walk into a shop and want to know whether you can use your card. You could ask: Can I pay by card? You could construct other grammatically possible formulations as well. You could even become impressively elaborate: Is it possible for me to make the payment by means of a credit card? There may be nothing s...