Why do some languages use grammatical gender while others do not? Linguists have proposed several explanations, none entirely satisfying. The leading accounts trace gender systems to either ancient noun-classification schemes or to phonological accidents in a language's deep history.
Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence in the text?
- A
It contradicts the second sentence.
- B
It states a conclusion that the text will defend.
- Ccheck_circle
It introduces a question that the rest of the text addresses.
- D
It defines the term 'grammatical gender'.
Explanation
The opening question motivates the explanations that follow. A captures this question-setup function.