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 humans are born with an innate set of grammatical principles that underlie language, guiding how we learn syntax and structure regardless of the specific language we’re exposed to. This concept was introduced and developed by Noam Chomsky, who argued that the remarkable speed and uniformity with which children acquire language point to an internal, biologically based grammar rather than just learning from the environment. Chomsky’s work in generative grammar formalizes this view and posits that these universal principles constrain the possible structure of all human languages. The other linguists mentioned made important contributions in other areas, but Universal Grammar is most closely tied to Chomsky.