Universal Grammar is associated with which linguist?

Universal Grammar is associated with which linguist?

• A. Noam Chomsky
• B. Steven Pinker
• C. Ferdinand de Saussure
• D. David Crystal

Answer: (A)

Universal Grammar is the idea that there is an inborn set of grammatical principles shared by all humans, forming the foundation that makes language acquisition possible regardless of specific language input. This perspective was developed by Noam Chomsky, who argued that children are born with an innate language faculty and a set of universal constraints that guide how any language can be structured. Because of this, children can learn complex grammar from relatively little explicit instruction, and languages around the world show common patterns despite surface differences. While Steven Pinker has helped popularize and elaborate on Chomsky’s ideas, the original association is with Chomsky. Ferdinand de Saussure contributed to structuralism and ideas about language as a system of signs, not Universal Grammar. David Crystal is known for his work on contemporary language use and communication, not for proposing Universal Grammar.