Topic I: Overview of Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar
Prescriptive Grammar
Prescriptive grammar refers to a set of rules and guidelines that dictate how
language should be used. It is normative in nature and emphasizes correct,
"proper" usage based on established conventions. This type of grammar is
often taught in formal education and is concerned with the "right" way to
speak or write according to traditional standards.
Objective: To establish rules for proper language use.
Focus: Correctness, formal standards, and preventing "errors."
Examples:
o "You should not end a sentence with a preposition."
o "Use 'whom' when referring to the object of a sentence."
Descriptive Grammar
Descriptive grammar, on the other hand, observes and describes how
language is actually used by speakers. Rather than prescribing rules, it
focuses on the patterns and structures that naturally occur in spoken and
written language, without making judgments about correctness.
Objective: To document how language is used in real-life contexts.
Focus: Actual usage, linguistic diversity, and changes in language over
time.
Examples:
o Noting that many people commonly say, "Who are you going
with?" instead of "With whom are you going?"
Key Differences:
Prescriptive grammar is about what language should be, whereas
descriptive grammar is about what language is.
Prescriptivism often resists language change, while descriptivism
accepts and documents it.
Topic II: Historical Development of English Grammar
The development of English grammar is a complex process influenced by
numerous linguistic, social, and cultural changes. Here’s an overview of its
evolution through different periods:
1. Old English Period (450–1150 AD)
Influences: The earliest form of English, known as Old English, was
heavily influenced by the Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes)
who invaded Britain. Old English grammar was synthetic, meaning it
relied on inflections to convey grammatical relationships (e.g., word
endings to indicate case, number, and gender).
Key Features:
o A complex system of noun declensions and verb conjugations.
o Flexible word order due to the extensive use of inflections.
Influence of Latin and Old Norse: Latin (through Christian
missionaries) and Old Norse (through Viking invasions) also contributed
new vocabulary and grammatical elements to Old English.
2. Middle English Period (1150–1500 AD)
Norman Conquest (1066 AD): The Norman invasion brought
significant French influence on the English language, especially in
vocabulary and syntax. During this period, English began shifting from
a highly inflected language to a more analytic one.
Key Features:
o Loss of many inflectional endings, leading to greater reliance on
word order and prepositions.
o Simplification of the case system and the introduction of fixed
word order (subject-verb-object).
o Increased borrowing of French words, particularly in law,
government, and culture.
3. Early Modern English Period (1500–1700 AD)
Renaissance and Printing Press: The Renaissance brought a
renewed interest in classical languages (Latin and Greek), which led to
the borrowing of many Latin-based terms and more formal rules of
grammar. The invention of the printing press (1476) standardized
written English.
Grammatical Changes:
o Continued reduction of inflections.
o Standardization of verb forms (e.g., regular and irregular verbs).
o Introduction of auxiliary verbs (e.g., "do" in questions and
negatives).
Notable Figures:
o William Caxton (introduced the printing press, leading to a
more standardized English).
o William Shakespeare and King James Bible (had a major
impact on vocabulary and grammar).
4. Prescriptive Grammar Era (1700s)
The Age of Prescriptivism: The 18th century saw the rise of
prescriptive grammar, where scholars sought to define rules for
"proper" English. Influenced by Latin grammar, these grammarians
aimed to fix and regulate English usage.
Key Figures:
o Robert Lowth (1762): His book A Short Introduction to English
Grammar laid down many prescriptive rules, such as not ending
a sentence with a preposition and avoiding double negatives.
o Samuel Johnson: His Dictionary of the English Language (1755)
further influenced grammar standardization.
Key Features:
o Emphasis on "correct" usage, often based on Latin models.
o Resistance to linguistic change and dialectal variation.
5. Modern English Period (1700s–Present)
19th Century and the Study of Linguistics: Linguistic scholarship
in the 19th century led to a more descriptive approach to grammar,
emphasizing language as it is spoken, rather than as it should be.
Key Movements:
o Descriptive Grammar: With scholars like Noah Webster in
America (his 1828 dictionary helped standardize American
English) and Henry Sweet (a key figure in phonetics and
grammar studies), linguists began focusing more on how English
was actually used rather than prescribing rules.
o Linguistic Theory: The 20th century saw the rise of
structuralism and transformational grammar, most notably with
Noam Chomsky, whose work on generative grammar provided
a new framework for understanding the innate structure of
language.
Contemporary Developments:
o English grammar continues to evolve, with shifts in usage
influenced by globalization, technology, and social change.
o The divide between formal prescriptive rules and everyday
descriptive usage is still prominent, especially with emerging
varieties of English (e.g., World Englishes and dialects).
Summary of Key Trends
Old English was highly inflected, relying on grammatical endings for
meaning.
Middle English saw a simplification of inflections and greater reliance
on word order, with heavy French influence.
Early Modern English marked the standardization of grammar
through the influence of the printing press and literary works.
The 18th century focused on prescriptive rules to regulate "proper"
English usage.
In the modern era, linguists moved toward a more descriptive
understanding of grammar, documenting how language is used in real
contexts.
This evolution shows how English grammar has shifted from complexity and
flexibility to greater standardization, while also reflecting ongoing changes in
society and communication.
