Which theory posits a universal grammar guiding the possible structures of all human languages?

• A. LAD
• B. Innateness Hypothesis
• C. Universal/Generative Grammar
• D. Connectionist/PD

Answer: (C)

Universal Grammar holds that there is a shared set of deep grammatical principles that shape all human languages, and that children innately access these constraints to learn language. The theory that names and formalizes this idea as the framework for language structure is Universal/Generative Grammar. It explains how varied languages can be generated from a common set of principles, with differences arising from parameter settings rather than entirely different rules. The Language Acquisition Device is a proposed innate mechanism within this innateness view that would access UG, while the Innateness Hypothesis is a broader claim that language ability is innate but doesn’t by itself specify a universal grammar. Connectionist approaches, by contrast, emphasize learning from exposure through neural networks rather than relying on fixed universal structures.