Which statement best describes the universality of linguistic systems across languages?

Which statement best describes the universality of linguistic systems across languages?

• A. Some languages have systems.
• B. All languages have systems.
• C. There are no systems in language.
• D. Language systems are unique to each speaker.

Answer: (B)

Language is organized by a system of rules. Every language has patterns for how sounds are used, how words are formed, and how sentences are put together to convey meaning. That structured nature—phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics—exists in all languages, even though the specific rules differ from one language to another. This makes the statement that all languages have systems the best description of how language works across the globe: there’s always an underlying structure that speakers learn and use. The idea that only some languages have systems, or that there are no systems, or that systems are unique to each speaker, misses the common, rule-governed nature present in every language community.

Language is organized by a system of rules. Every language has patterns for how sounds are used, how words are formed, and how sentences are put together to convey meaning. That structured nature—phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics—exists in all languages, even though the specific rules differ from one language to another. This makes the statement that all languages have systems the best description of how language works across the globe: there’s always an underlying structure that speakers learn and use. The idea that only some languages have systems, or that there are no systems, or that systems are unique to each speaker, misses the common, rule-governed nature present in every language community.