Complexity in the English Language
The study of a common international language has promoted the association of people from different natives. English has become popular as an international language where speakers whose native languages are different can easily communicate. Although many learners from foreign natives believe that English is easy to speak compared to other languages, it becomes challenging to write and pronounce words correctly. The English language is challenging because of three main rationales; the existence of many rules and exceptions, different word order in sentences, and pronunciation problems associated with similar words.
Firstly, the English language consists of many rules and exceptions. The rules are mainly related to spelling and plurals, doubling letters, prefixes, and suffixes, and dropping and adding of letters. However, these rules have exceptions that make English complicated. Carter observed that English words follow the rules of spelling and grammar up to around 75%. For instance, when a word ends with letter ‘E,’ the ‘E’ is dropped when a suffix beginning with a vowel such as -ing, -ed and -ous is added to the word. Examples include hope-hoping, fame-famous. However, this rule does not apply to all words ending with ‘E.’ When the letter ‘E’ in the word dye is dropped, the word changes its meaning entirely. Example; dye-dying.
Secondly, there are different word order formats in English. A slight chance of a necessary sentence order can make an English sentence confusing or make it have a completely different meaning. The necessary standard order is subject+verb+object. However, the format is affected when direct and indirect questions and adjectives clauses are used. For instance, the verb comes before the subject in a direct question, but in an indirect question, the subject comes before the verb. Also, an adjective clause comes immediately after the word it modifies. When the adjective clause is put elsewhere, the whole sentence becomes confusing and changes its meaning.
Lastly, the pronunciation of English words is often challenging. On many occasions, how English words are pronounced is different from how they are written. Some letters such as r,b,l,k, and s remain silent when pronouncing words. Also, the stressing of words affect their pronunciation and meaning. English uses; fall, fall-rise, rise, and rise-fall pitches. Although the pattern appears to be simple, it is difficult to identify them in a written word. Subsequently, some words whose spelling is similar are pronounced differently depending on their position in a sentence. For instance, when the word ‘blessed’ appears at the beginning of a sentence, it is pronounced as two syllables, i.e., ‘bless-ed.’ However, when the same word appears elsewhere in the sentence, it has one syllable i.e. ‘blest.’
To sum up, the English language is difficult because it has many rules and exceptions. The order of words varies from one sentence to the other, and the spelling of words is often different from how they are pronounced. The rules in English do not apply to all words. Despite the standard word order in English, some situations affect the sentence structure, failure to which the meaning may be altered. Similar words have different syllables depending on their position in a sentence. Although spoken English is considered natural, writing becomes challenging for many students. Learners should endeavor to advance their English knowledge for better mastery.
Carter R. English Grammar Today: The Cambridge AZ Grammar of English. Intermediate B1/B2. Cambridge University Press; 2016. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/spelling
Collins S. Practical Everyday English: A New Method of Learning Vocabulary for Upper Intermediate and Advanced Students. Montserrat Publishing; 2009. Available at:
https://epdf.pub/queue/practical-everyday-english.html
Ramasari M. Students Pronunciation Error Made in Speaking for General Communication. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal. 2017 Dec 30;1(1):37-48.
https://ipm2kpe.or.id/journal/index.php/LEEA/article/view/32/27