--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The speaker does not feel the grammatical…" description: "\"The speaker does not feel the grammatical rules he is said to apply in composing sentences, and men spoke grammatically for thousands of years before a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/b-f-skinner-4812_composing_the-speaker-does-not-feel-the-grammatica_1808577.png" --- # The speaker does not feel the grammatical rules he is said… ![“The speaker does not feel the grammatical rules he is said to apply in composing sentences, and men spoke grammatically for thousands of years before anyone knew there were rules.” quote by B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/b-f-skinner-4812_composing_the-speaker-does-not-feel-the-grammatica_1808577.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/b-f-skinner-4812_composing_the-speaker-does-not-feel-the-grammatica_1808577.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/b-f-skinner-4812_composing_the-speaker-does-not-feel-the-grammatica_1808577.png) > “The speaker does not feel the grammatical rules he is said to apply in composing sentences, and men spoke grammatically for thousands of years before anyone knew there were rules.” [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language intuition precedes formal grammar; rules are descriptive, not prescriptive. **In simple terms:** We feel language before learning rules. Key Takeaway Trust natural language sense. Themes language grammar intuition learning communication Mood analytical thoughtful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - writing - teaching - learning new languages - public speaking Key Concepts cognitive linguistics psychology education Questions to Reflect On - How does intuition guide your speech? - When do you need explicit grammar? A Different Perspective Formal rules can still improve clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Composing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composing/) [Composing Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composing-sentences-904193/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Feel Grammatical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-grammatical-2095478/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Grammar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grammar/) [Grammatical Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grammatical-rules-947432/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-spoke-665524/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Sentences Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences-men-1676228/) [Speakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speakers/) [Spokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spokes/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I have tried for much of my life to write as if I was composing my sentences to be read posthumously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-have-tried-for-much-of-my-life-to-write-as-if-i-was-composing-my/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [At the evident risk of seeming ridiculous, I want to begin by saying that I have tried for much of my life to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/at-the-evident-risk-of-seeming-ridiculous-i-want-to-begin-by-saying/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what other men say in whole books what other men do not say in whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-my-ambition-to-say-in-ten-sentences-what-other-men-say-in-whole/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Native speakers can rarely explain the grammatical rules of their own language. In the same way, those who are most ‘fluent’ in the rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/native-speakers-can-rarely-explain-the-grammatical-rules-of-their-own/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [A language is not just a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules. ¦ Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-language-is-not-just-a-body-of-vocabulary-or-a-set-of-grammatical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men spoke much in my boyhood about restricted or ruined men of genius: and it was common to say that many a man was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-spoke-much-in-my-boyhood-about-restricted-or-ruined-men-of-genius/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some of the men spoke of God: His mysterious ways, the sins of the Jewish people, and the redemption to come. As for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/some-of-the-men-spoke-of-god-his-mysterious-ways-the-sins-of-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [And in this silence of the dumb and these speeches of the blind, in this medly of people bound together by the same grief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/and-in-this-silence-of-the-dumb-and-these-speeches-of-the-blind-in/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“The more they talked and argued, the less they understood each other. In the end they fell silent, full of mutual contempt and hatred.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/the-more-they-talked-and-argued-the-less-they-understood-each-other/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [As human beings, we are the only organisms that create for the sheer stupid pleasure of doing so. Whether it's laying out a garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/as-human-beings-we-are-the-only-organisms-that-create-for-the-sheer/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Composing a piece of music is very feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, contemplative. By comparison, doing housework is positively masculine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kolb/composing-a-piece-of-music-is-very-feminine-it-is-sensitive-emotional/) [Barbara Kolb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kolb/) > [I'm the only actor who has done everything, right from anchoring shows to composing and singing songs to theatre to movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/i-m-the-only-actor-who-has-done-everything-right-from-anchoring-shows/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [I was really into the music of Cream after I finished composing the music for 'BTTB.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/i-was-really-into-the-music-of-cream-after-i-finished-composing-the/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [Even though, theoretically, being a composer and being a songwriter are the same thing, in my brain, they are completely different. When I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bacon/even-though-theoretically-being-a-composer-and-being-a-songwriter-are/) [Michael Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bacon/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) ## More by B. F. Skinner > [To require a citizen to sign a loyalty oath is to destroy some of the loyalty he could otherwise claim, since any subsequent loyal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/to-require-a-citizen-to-sign-a-loyalty-oath-is-to-destroy-some-of-the/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [A first principle not formally recognized by scientific methodologists: when you run into something interesting, drop everything else and study it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/a-first-principle-not-formally-recognized-by-scientific/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [The problem of far greater importance remains to be solved. Rather than build a world in which we shall all live well, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/the-problem-of-far-greater-importance-remains-to-be-solved-rather/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [I remember when I was a freshman in college, I was still somewhat bothered by... worried... about religion. I remember going to this professor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/i-remember-when-i-was-a-freshman-in-college-i-was-still-somewhat/) [B. F. 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Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [The simplest and most satisfactory view is that thought is simply behavior - verbal or nonverbal, covert or overt. It is not some mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/the-simplest-and-most-satisfactory-view-is-that-thought-is-simply/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [Behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/behavior-is-shaped-and-maintained-by-its-consequences/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [The alphabet was a great invention, which enabled men to store and to learn with little effort what others had learned the hard way-that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/the-alphabet-was-a-great-invention-which-enabled-men-to-store-and-to/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [The people who control the condition in which we live have no reason to think beyond more than the next five or 10 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/the-people-who-control-the-condition-in-which-we-live-have-no-reason/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [I am opposed to the military use of animals. I am also opposed to the military use of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/i-am-opposed-to-the-military-use-of-animals-i-am-also-opposed-to-the/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [A person's genetic endowment, a product of the evolution of the species, is said to explain part of the workings of his mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/a-person-s-genetic-endowment-a-product-of-the-evolution-of-the/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [Reinforcement is being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/reinforcement-is-being-right/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [If you're old, don't try to change yourself, change your environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/if-you-re-old-don-t-try-to-change-yourself-change-your-environment/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) [Explore all 105 B. F. Skinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) ## More Composing quotes > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [As human beings, we are the only organisms that create for the sheer stupid pleasure of doing so. Whether it's laying out a garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/as-human-beings-we-are-the-only-organisms-that-create-for-the-sheer/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Composing a piece of music is very feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, contemplative. By comparison, doing housework is positively masculine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kolb/composing-a-piece-of-music-is-very-feminine-it-is-sensitive-emotional/) [Barbara Kolb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kolb/) > [I'm the only actor who has done everything, right from anchoring shows to composing and singing songs to theatre to movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/i-m-the-only-actor-who-has-done-everything-right-from-anchoring-shows/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [Even though, theoretically, being a composer and being a songwriter are the same thing, in my brain, they are completely different. When I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bacon/even-though-theoretically-being-a-composer-and-being-a-songwriter-are/) [Michael Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bacon/) > [I was really into the music of Cream after I finished composing the music for 'BTTB.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/i-was-really-into-the-music-of-cream-after-i-finished-composing-the/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [I don't meditate before I play or compose, but I see playing and composing as meditative acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-swallow/i-don-t-meditate-before-i-play-or-compose-but-i-see-playing-and/) [Steve Swallow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-swallow/) > [Every day I lugged my backpack through the halls, waiting for the final bell. Then I'd race home and hole up in my room,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-groban/every-day-i-lugged-my-backpack-through-the-halls-waiting-for-the/) [Josh Groban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-groban/) > [I'd always loved poetry and I'd always loved writing music and composing music, but I hadn't thought of putting the two together until around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cockburn/i-d-always-loved-poetry-and-i-d-always-loved-writing-music-and/) [Bruce Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cockburn/) > [It is hard work composing a song for a film and showing it to makers: 50% of the tune remains the same, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-chauhan/it-is-hard-work-composing-a-song-for-a-film-and-showing-it-to-makers/) [Mohit Chauhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-chauhan/) > [Every orchestra I know, every opera house I know, is desperately looking around trying to find new talent, new composing talent, supporting young composers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/every-orchestra-i-know-every-opera-house-i-know-is-desperately/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [The material of music is sound and silence. 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