For decades, linguists believed that the structural framework of human language was entirely hardwired into the brain, a universal grammar shared by all members of our species. However, when researchers documented the unique grammatical features of Pirahã, an indigenous language of the Amazon, this consensus began to splinter. Pirahã lacks relative clauses, recursive sentence structures, and even fixed terms for numbers or colors—features previously thought to be fundamental to all human speech. Rather than viewing this as a mere linguistic anomaly, some cognitive scientists argue that Pirahã demonstrates how culture, rather than biology alone, shapes the limits of language. Yet, many orthodox generative grammarians remain unconvinced, dismissing the language's peculiarities as minor variations that do not threaten the core tenets of universal grammar.
Which of the following best describes the primary rhetorical function of the fourth sentence ("Rather than... language")?
- It introduces a theoretical perspective that challenges the biological model of language by proposing culture as a key shaping force.Answer
- BIt provides empirical data showing how specific cultural behaviors directly prevent the formation of relative clauses.
- CIt resolves the conflict between traditional linguists and cognitive scientists by offering a compromise theory.
- DIt restates the universal grammar theory in order to show that Pirahã's grammar is merely a minor variation.