Differences Between Descriptive & Prescriptive Grammar

Descriptive grammars and prescriptive grammars represent two perspectives on language usage, with ramifications for linguistic study, teaching and social perspectives on language.

Grammar

In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules a language uses for word creation (morphology), word ordering (syntax), sounds (phonetics and phonology) and meanings (semantics).

Descriptive Grammar

Descriptive grammars describe how people use spoken and written language, and the knowledge that they use to decide whether something is grammatically correct.

Prescriptive Grammar

Prescriptive grammars prescribe the rules of a language. Teaching materials for foreign languages are one example of a prescriptive grammar.

Conflict

When adults learn a foreign language, they usually want their instructional materials to tell them how to speak it and what rules to follow. However, if a book tells you not to end an English sentence with a preposition, it is giving just one perspective on correct grammar.

At the same time, those who prefer prescriptive grammars often view descriptive grammars as too open-ended, inviting the destruction of standardized language.

Social Issues

Preferring prescriptive or descriptive grammar can cause social issues. For example, the English word "ain't" is often considered to be incorrect grammar, and some people may disapprove of a speaker using that term in a formal environment.

References

• Linguistics 101
• Descriptive vs. Prescriptive
• Descriptive vs. Prescriptive Grammar