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What Do You Think of Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar? Give Your Comments

Descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers, while prescriptive grammar prescribes how language should be used according to established rules. For example, descriptive grammar may accept "I'm older than her" as valid usage, whereas prescriptive grammar insists it should be "I'm older than she". Both aim to analyze language structure and functions, but descriptive grammar is based on observation of natural usage, while prescriptive grammar enforces socially accepted conventions of correctness.

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96 views

What Do You Think of Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar? Give Your Comments

Descriptive grammar describes how language is actually used by speakers, while prescriptive grammar prescribes how language should be used according to established rules. For example, descriptive grammar may accept "I'm older than her" as valid usage, whereas prescriptive grammar insists it should be "I'm older than she". Both aim to analyze language structure and functions, but descriptive grammar is based on observation of natural usage, while prescriptive grammar enforces socially accepted conventions of correctness.

Uploaded by

Irving Jie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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QUESTION 2 :

What do you think of prescriptive and descriptive


grammar? Give your comments.

NUR LIYANA ABDUL HADI


FIFI FARRISA MAT KEBI

Prescriptive and descriptive grammar


are types of grammar which are
different ways
of describing and
analyzing the structure and functions
of language.
Both types of grammar concern with
rules but in a different way.

Descriptive Grammar
Descriptive grammar is the systematic study and
description of a language. Descriptive grammar refers to
the structure of a language as it is actually used by
speakers and writers. It is a grammar based on the way a
language actually is and not how some think it should be.
Descriptive grammarians generally advise us not to be
overly concerned with matters of correctness: language,
they say, isn't good or bad; it simplyis.
Specialists in descriptive grammar (calledlinguists) study
the rules or patterns that underlie our use of words,
phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Prescriptive (traditional) approach:


a set of rules and examples dealing
with the syntax and word structures
of a language, usually intended as an
aid to the learning of that language.
Attitudes toward language based on
what is held to be correct by
socially prestigious elements and by
teachers

This attitude evinces complete


disregard for the way a community
actually speaks

Examples of common prescriptive


rules
Do not use aint
Do not use a preposition to end a sentence
with
Pronounce the -ing at the end of words,
not -in
Do not split infinitives:
to boldly go where man has never
gone before
is wrong, they say

Example
Prescriptive grammar will tell you that this
sentence is incorrect.
I'm older than her.
and that you should say
I'm older than she.
While descriptive grammar will tell you that
Im older than her is a valid form of
expressing difference in age in certain areas,
group ages or social circles.

[1] Descriptive grammar: a grammar that "describes" how language is used


by its speakers.
For example, I am older than her.
Explanation: Subject pronouns (she, he, it, and so on) are paired with a
verb, whereas object pronouns (her, him, it, and so on) are not. Since the
phrase "than her" doesn't have a verb we can see or hear, some speakers
choose an object pronoun in the context.
[2] Prescriptive grammar: a grammar that "prescribes" how speakers should
use the language.
For example, I am older than she (is older).
Explanation: 'than' is a conjunction; it joins two like forms: "I am older"
with "she is older", giving "I am older than she is older", but speakers omit
the last part "is older" because it's redundant. Nevertheless, according to
prescriptive grammar, 'than' functions as a conjunction, so speakers
should use "she" in that context.

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