We have been studying grammar at school. It consisted of certain rules which were meant to make us write and speak a language correctly. Our teachers told us what to do. They prescribed rules such as (1) Do not say It is me. Say It is I and (2) Do not end a sentence with a preposition. This is called prescriptive grammar.
Descriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by speakers and writers. Prescriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should be used. Unlike descriptive grammar it deals with what the grammarian believes to be right and wrong, good or bad language use. Both types of grammar have their supporters and their detractors, both have their strengths and weaknesses.
In the past, editors, the writers of dictionaries and other language authorities have only been interested in the prescriptive rules, but this is starting to change. Some rules taught by teachers are not necessary at all. For instance, ‘It is I’ is considered pedantic and people normally use ‘It is me’. Moreover, excellent writers of English end sentences with prepositions. These rules come from Latin grammar. As the language of the scholars of Europe was Latin, they were so impressed by it that they thought other languages too should follow these rules.
You will observe that in Urdu many people follow the rules of Persian and Arabic. For example, the plural of ustad (teacher) in Urdu is ustad. But some people use usataza which follows an Arabic pluralization rule. Likewise modern Hindi grammar follows Sanskritic rules.
Both kinds of grammar are concerned with rules--but in different ways. Specialists in descriptive grammar (called linguists) study the rules or patterns that underlie our use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. On the other hand, prescriptive grammarians (such as most editors and teachers) lay out rules about what they believe to be the ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ use of language.
Most linguists including Chomsky are interested in descriptive grammar.
Pure prescriptive grammar will lead to artificial claims that are hard to maintain in light of the facts. While prescriptivists would prefer the use of the past subjunctive after if (If I were you, etc), it is very difficult to claim that everyone who uses ‘was’ is wrong, especially as they are the majority in spoken language.
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.
Some Rules of Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar
1. The prescriptive rules concerning contractions are quite clear. There are positive contractions in which a pronoun is blended with a verb: I am becomes I'm, I will becomes I'll, I have becomes I've, etc. There are negative contractions in which verbs are negated: can not becomes can't, could not becomes couldn't, etc. There is a list of approved contractions and you can't just make up new ones.
2. Prescriptive English requires that pronouns be put in a "case" to mark their role in a sentence. For example, the words I and me refer to the same person, but I is used when this person is the subject of the sentence, and me is used when the person is the object of the sentence (following a preposition). These prescriptive rules are often ignored.
3. Another prescriptive rule is the distinction between adverbs (modify verbs) and adjectives (modify nouns). According to prescriptive English, the adjective adds -ly to become an adverb---although there are plenty of irregular cases such as good (adjective) and well (adverb).
The use of prescriptive and descriptive rules is definitely associated with class and education. An upper-class or highly educated person is more likely to use cases for pronouns than a lower-class or uneducated person. Similarly, the prescriptive use of adverbs can be a social marker. Educated or upper-class people are more likely to say 'He reads well instead of he reads good.'
Descriptive rules tend not to make a distinction between adjectives and adverbs---just to use the adjective for both. 'He is reading good books.' 'He reads good'. etc.
4. Prescriptive English dictates that certain words be used in certain situations to make a distinction. For example, few means a smaller amount of something that is counted, whereas less means a smaller amount of something that is measured. One common place that this prescriptive rule is ignored is in grocery stores. Check out this line, 10 items or less. It should be 10 items or fewer. A similar pair is who and that when used as pronouns in expressions like The man that came to dinner, which should be The man who came to dinner.
Here are some further examples of prescriptive grammar.
1. Never split infinitives e.g. to boldly go (to go)
2. Never use double negatives e.g. I can't get no satisfaction (I can’t get satisfactions)
3. Never end a sentence with a preposition e.g. This is the topic I will be writing my paper on. (This is the topic on which I will be writing a paper.)
4. Never use me after than e.g. She is taller than me. (She is taller than I.)
But we know these rules are very often ignored. Language which ignores the prescriptive rules is called Descriptive language.
Language use is forever evolving and it should because old forms are often unnecessarily complex or do not serve current needs. For example, swimmed is often used rather than swam in common speech. Why should people have to learn countless irregular verb forms while they can easily make the second form of verb just adding ‘ed’ to the first?
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.
Some Rules of Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar
1. The prescriptive rules concerning contractions are quite clear. There are positive contractions in which a pronoun is blended with a verb: I am becomes I'm, I will becomes I'll, I have becomes I've, etc. There are negative contractions in which verbs are negated: can not becomes can't, could not becomes couldn't, etc. There is a list of approved contractions and you can't just make up new ones.
2. Prescriptive English requires that pronouns be put in a "case" to mark their role in a sentence. For example, the words I and me refer to the same person, but I is used when this person is the subject of the sentence, and me is used when the person is the object of the sentence (following a preposition). These prescriptive rules are often ignored.
3. Another prescriptive rule is the distinction between adverbs (modify verbs) and adjectives (modify nouns). According to prescriptive English, the adjective adds -ly to become an adverb---although there are plenty of irregular cases such as good (adjective) and well (adverb).
The use of prescriptive and descriptive rules is definitely associated with class and education. An upper-class or highly educated person is more likely to use cases for pronouns than a lower-class or uneducated person. Similarly, the prescriptive use of adverbs can be a social marker. Educated or upper-class people are more likely to say 'He reads well instead of he reads good.'
Descriptive rules tend not to make a distinction between adjectives and adverbs---just to use the adjective for both. 'He is reading good books.' 'He reads good'. etc.
4. Prescriptive English dictates that certain words be used in certain situations to make a distinction. For example, few means a smaller amount of something that is counted, whereas less means a smaller amount of something that is measured. One common place that this prescriptive rule is ignored is in grocery stores. Check out this line, 10 items or less. It should be 10 items or fewer. A similar pair is who and that when used as pronouns in expressions like The man that came to dinner, which should be The man who came to dinner.
Here are some further examples of prescriptive grammar.
1. Never split infinitives e.g. to boldly go (to go)
2. Never use double negatives e.g. I can't get no satisfaction (I can’t get satisfactions)
3. Never end a sentence with a preposition e.g. This is the topic I will be writing my paper on. (This is the topic on which I will be writing a paper.)
4. Never use me after than e.g. She is taller than me. (She is taller than I.)
But we know these rules are very often ignored. Language which ignores the prescriptive rules is called Descriptive language.
Language use is forever evolving and it should because old forms are often unnecessarily complex or do not serve current needs. For example, swimmed is often used rather than swam in common speech. Why should people have to learn countless irregular verb forms while they can easily make the second form of verb just adding ‘ed’ to the first?
