Which term describes the approach that sees language in terms of rules and patterns?

• A. Pragmatism
• B. Descriptivism
• C. Structuralism
• D. Semantics

Answer: (C)

Structuralism treats language as a structured system in which elements gain their meaning and use from their place among rules and patterns. It focuses on the relationships between sounds, signs, and grammatical units, looking for the regularities that govern how language is formed and organized. This emphasis on the underlying structure, rather than on how language is used in real situations or what words mean by themselves, is what makes it the best fit for describing a language in terms of rules and patterns. Pragmatism centers on language in use, and descriptivism focuses on describing actual usage, while semantics concentrates on meaning; none of these foregrounds the systematic, rule-and-pattern view that structuralism does.