Generative versus Cognitive Approaches to Grammar

Despite the differences they hold, the generative and the cognitive approaches to grammar aim to
describe “speaker knowledge” (Hamawand, 2020, p. 51). Indeed, the cognitive view, where
studying semantics (i.e. meaning) and cognitive approaches to grammar (i.e. grammar) are
“complementary” and not independent areas of research (Evans & Green, 2006, p. 49); is contrary
to the formal (generative) view where the study of the aspects of the grammatical structure of a
language is independent of meaning. In fact, “the cognitive approach to grammar originally grew
out of a reaction against the generative approach and defined itself explicitly against that tradition”
(2006: 742). Building on that premise, this article is devoted to explaining the main differences
between generative/ formal and cognitive approaches to grammar.