Question

The author of the book Synthetic Structures is;

• A. H. E Palmer
• B. Noam Chomsky
• C. Edward Sapir
• D. Geoffrey Leech

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Noam Chomsky

• Noam Chomsky is a renowned linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist.
• His seminal work in linguistics, particularly the theory of Generative Grammar, revolutionized the field and significantly impacted cognitive psychology.
• The book Synthetic Structures is an early work by Chomsky, published in 1957, laying the groundwork for his later theories. It is also known as Syntactic Structures and is considered a landmark publication in modern linguistics.
• Chomsky's theories proposed that language acquisition is an innate human capability, challenging behaviorist views prevalent at the time.
• Key concepts introduced include Universal Grammar (UG), a hypothetical innate linguistic knowledge possessed by all humans, and the distinction between competence (a speaker's knowledge of their language) and performance (the actual use of language).
• His work has been crucial in understanding the structure of language and the human mind, making him a highly influential figure in various academic disciplines.
• Competitive exam questions often test knowledge of seminal works and their authors, especially those that mark a paradigm shift in a field like linguistics.
• Understanding Chomsky's contributions is vital for subjects related to language, cognitive science, and even philosophy.