Grammar vs. Syntax: Differences Between Grammar and Syntax

Grammar is a system of rules that governs the structure of language. Grammar encompasses several fields of study including morphology (the internal structure of words), phonology (the sound of words), accidence (the inflection of words), and semantics (the meaning and interpretation of words). Grammatical rules determine the proper tense of a sentence as well as the agreement of parts of speech like adverbs and nouns.

Syntax is the arrangement of words within a sentence structure. A subset of grammar, syntax is a set of rules that describes the word order and structure of a sentence within a natural language. Linguists use syntactic rules to analyze a given language. For example, compare Hindi and the English language: Hindi uses a subject, object, verb structure while English uses a subject, verb, object structure. Syntax describes the construction of sentences out of clauses and phrases, relying on the core parts of a sentence (subject and predicate).

Syntax is a part of grammar, the overarching rules dictating the structure of a language. All syntax rules are grammar rules, but not all grammar rules are syntax rules. While the rules of grammar include the meaning of words, the internal structure of words, and the arrangement of words, syntax rules are only concerned with the order of words. Grammar is both prescriptive and descriptive, meaning that it tells how to formally use a language as well as how its natural speakers and writers use it informally. By contrast, syntax is solely involved with descriptive grammar.

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