Lexis
* Definition: The vocabulary of a language. It encompasses all the words, phrases, and idioms that make up a language's lexicon.
* Focus: On individual words and their meanings.
* Example: The words "cat," "run," "happy," and "beautiful" are all examples of lexis.
Grammar
* Definition: The set of rules that govern how words are combined to form meaningful sentences and phrases. It determines the structure and order of words in a language.
* Focus: On the arrangement and relationship between words.
* Example: The sentence "The cat ran happily" follows grammatical rules by placing the subject ("the cat") before the verb ("ran") and the adverb ("happily") after the verb.
Key Differences:
* Focus: Lexis deals with individual words, while grammar deals with the relationships between words.
* Structure: Lexis provides the building blocks of language, while grammar provides the rules for constructing those blocks into meaningful structures.
* Meaning: Lexis contributes to the meaning of a sentence by providing the specific words, while grammar contributes to meaning by indicating how those words relate to each other.
Analogy:
Think of lexis as the bricks and grammar as the mortar. You need bricks (lexis) to build a house (sentence), but you also need mortar (grammar) to hold the bricks together and create a stable structure.
In summary:
Lexis is about the words themselves, while grammar is about the rules for how those words are used to communicate effectively. Both are essential for understanding and using language.