Let's say we could teach a dolphin to understand the difference between the sentences "The parrot kissed the dolphin" and "The dolphin was kissed by the parrot". If this were demonstrated, it might mean the dolphin had an understanding of ________.
A)phonemes
B)morphemes
C)syntax
D)pragmatics

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences. Understanding the difference between a subject and an object in a sentence indicates an understanding of syntax. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language, morphemes are the smallest units of meaning, and pragmatics refers to the social context of language use. While an understanding of syntax does not necessarily indicate full language comprehension, it is an important component.

Let's Say We Could Teach a Dolphin to Understand the Difference