Essay Example on Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar

Descriptive and prescriptive grammar are two distinct terms that are used in the description of a language. Descriptive grammar involves describing a language as directly used by the speaker and not how it should be used. This is common in linguistics whereby native speakers have changed the language and can be used to describe the nature of languages. For example, people will say Im gonna pray instead of Im going to pray. Prescriptive grammar, on the other hand, entails a focus on how a language ought to be used mainly its word structures and syntax. It is primarily a set of guidelines that helps a person learn a specific language (Pinker, 1994).

Chomsky (1991) argued that descriptive grammar is solely created to understand a language more deeply. This is because different dialects possess several grammatical rules hence the need to grow and adapt different languages. In fact, descriptive grammar aims at describing how a particular language is used systematically, precisely, comprehensively, and empirically. Unlike prescriptive grammar, descriptive grammar does not give advice and are scientific theories that do not have assumptions of appropriateness or correctness of a particular language. A descriptive grammar of one period differs from that of another period due to language changes (Pinker, 1994).

Prescriptive grammar focusses mostly on how to speak correct English. According to Lobeck, Anne, and Denham (2014), prescriptive grammar is focused more on the academic perspective of a language and is common among school teachers and others who correct how people use language. Prescriptive grammar relies on Standard American English to recommend the appropriate language to be used. Unlike descriptive grammar, this grammatical style enforces cultural cohesion using language and does not hypothesize about mental grammar like descriptive grammarians (Lobeck, Anne, and Denham, 2014). Finally, although both prescriptive and descriptive grammar is concerned with rules, they have different perspectives. Individuals interested in descriptive grammar focuses on patterns of how sentences, phrases or words are used while prescriptivists are interested in guidelines of how language should be used.

The book titled The Elements of Style by Strunk and Pullum uses prescriptive grammar. The book is published to be used in English courses to teach how English composition should be written with close combination with a study of literature. Just like prescriptive grammar, the book teaches how the English language should be used by proposing correct nouns, conjunctions, commas, and other principles of composition. For example, the book is written that In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. (Strunk and White, 1959). This shows the correct form of English language hence meaning it uses prescriptive grammar. Furthermore, the book at the second and third chapter focuses on teaching learners on standard principles of composition mostly violated. Thus, it has prescriptive grammar characteristics in all its chapters.

The other book titled A Students Introduction to English Grammar by Huddleston and Pullum uses descriptive grammar. The book is primarily published for university students from different linguistics who have not background in grammar. It focuses on helping international students understand grammar to enhance their language skills through using language the way it is used. This shows it uses descriptive grammar by not emphasizing on the correctness of one language. The book on page 12 is written that Descriptive books try to describe the grammatical system that underlies the way people speak and write the language. Thats what our book aims to do: we want to describe what standard English is like. (Huddleston and Pullum, 2005). This shows it uses descriptive grammar.

References

Chomsky, N. (1991). Language Politics and Composition/Interview by Gary A. Olson and Lester Faigley. Journal of Advanced Composition, vol. 11, no. 1. pp. 135.

Huddleston, R. and G. Pullum. (2005). A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

Lobeck, Anne and Kristin Denham. (2014). Navigating English Grammar: A Guide to Analyzing Real Language. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Pinker, S. (1994). Grammar Puss. New Republic. Web.

Strunk, W., Jr. and E.B. White. (1959) The Elements of Style. New York: Macmillan.