1. Based on grammaticality:
* Grammatical: Sentences that are considered grammatically correct and follow the rules of the language. These are typically judged as completely acceptable.
* Ungrammatical: Sentences that violate the grammatical rules of the language. These are typically judged as unacceptable.
* Marginally grammatical: Sentences that are grammatically questionable, but still understandable. These are often judged as somewhat acceptable, with varying degrees of acceptability depending on the specific context and speaker's judgment.
2. Based on semantic and pragmatic factors:
* Semantically acceptable: Sentences that are meaningful and make logical sense.
* Semantically unacceptable: Sentences that are nonsensical or contradictory.
* Pragmatically acceptable: Sentences that are appropriate in a given context, taking into account the speaker's intentions, the listener's knowledge, and the social situation.
* Pragmatically unacceptable: Sentences that are inappropriate or offensive in a given context.
3. Based on the speaker's judgment:
* Acceptable: Sentences that are judged as good and well-formed by a speaker.
* Unacceptable: Sentences that are judged as bad and ill-formed by a speaker.
* Ambiguous: Sentences that can be interpreted in multiple ways, leading to uncertainty about their acceptability.
4. Based on the type of linguistic analysis:
* Syntactic acceptability: Refers to the well-formedness of a sentence according to the rules of syntax.
* Semantic acceptability: Refers to the meaningfulness of a sentence.
* Pragmatic acceptability: Refers to the appropriateness of a sentence in a given context.
5. Based on the degree of acceptability:
* Totally acceptable: Sentences that are judged as completely acceptable.
* Partially acceptable: Sentences that are acceptable in some contexts, but not in others.
* Unacceptable: Sentences that are judged as completely unacceptable.
It is important to note that:
* Acceptability is a subjective judgment and can vary between different speakers and even for the same speaker in different contexts.
* There is no single, absolute standard of acceptability, and different linguistic theories may offer different explanations for the acceptability of certain sentences.
Understanding the different types of acceptability is crucial for understanding how language works and how it is used in communication. It also helps linguists analyze and interpret linguistic data, develop theories of language, and improve language learning and teaching.