Final answer:
The formal properties of language involve the topography of the verbal response, which includes the rules of grammar such as syntax, phonology, morphology, and semantics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formal properties of language involve the topography of the verbal response. Language has a system of grammar that includes rules for how words are structured and combined to form meaningful sentences. These rules determine the syntax, phonology, morphology, and semantics of a language. For example, in English, we follow the rule of subject-verb-object order in sentences: 'The cat chased the mouse.'