Prescriptive Approach

Prescriptive grammar usually tells people how language should and should not be used. That is, they

‘Prescribe rules’ of grammar and usage. (They take normative approach. norm=rule, normative=rule based.)

    Comprehensive attempts at the standardization of English grammar began in the 18^th century. Many of the rules were taken from Latin and Greek grammar. This is because Latin and Greek were the classical languages all educated people knew; so these were regarded as models for English Grammar/other languages.

But English is different from Latin or Greek and many rules were not suitable for English.

   Thus the grammar of the times was based less on the actual usage of English by native speakers, than on borrowed rules.  This approach was conceived more about maintaining the purity of language and protecting it against corruption through changes. (But language is dynamic (have life) ; it cannot be made to stand still.)

e.g.,

1. Prescriptive grammar tells us not to end a sentence with a preposition because Latin grammar says    so.

‘You may go if you want to.’

   In actual usage this sentence is very common among educated native speakers. Hence it is to be considered correct and acceptable, though prescriptive grammar tells us it is wrong.

(Anaphoric ‘to’)

Churchill: “This is the kind of pedantry up with which I’ll not put.”

2) Question: Who is this?

    Answer: It is me.

   According to prescriptive grammar it should be ‘It is I.’ (Because of the notion of case, from Latin.) but              in modern usage we do not use ‘It is I’.

3) According to traditional PG ‘It is bigger than me’ is unacceptable. It should be ‘He is bigger than I am.’

4) I don’t have no money.

                                   Traditional prescriptive approach is against the case of such double negatives. Even though standard English (¥ºî¿ß ÍÞ×) does  not approve of such double negatives, many native speakers commonly speak in this manner (Black Americans).

5) Double Superlatives

    ‘This was the most unkindest cut of all.’ Even though such a sentence is acceptable in Shakespeare, grammar rules do not really welcome such doubles. But in common usage many native speakers use such constructions.

                                                                     

    Thus, the prescriptive approach had many rules based on Latin grammar, logic, the opinions of the experts etc. It’s weakness lies in ignoring/resisting the dynamism(change) of language, natural language etc.

(All pedagogical grammars are to some degree prescriptive, because they tell users.)

Descriptive Approach

   It attempts to describe the operation and rules of language objectivity, based on actual usage  (usually by native speakers) other speech group or speech community.

   Descriptive grammar generally accepts that:

1)’Correctness’ depends on what is accepted as correct by the community of speakers. Language is a matter of convention (æÉÞÄáøàÄß) it operates by consensus (æÉÞÄáØNÄ¢).

2) The grammar of a language need not be similar to that of another language.

    e.g., English : Sanskrit - Hindi – Malayalam –Chinese.

    We know from experience that these languages do not function exactly in the same way.

3) All languages constantly undergo changes; languages are dynamic. So there are no static and    permanent rules for language use.

4) The spoken form is primary. The written form is the graphic remodeling of spoken form/speech.

   So firstly, linguistic study should just focus on spoken form/speech.

                  

                 These are some of the basic principles accepted by descriptivist. They try to formulate descriptive rules instead of normative rules/stipulations.

                   Many usages considered ‘incorrect’ by prescriptive grammar are accepted by descriptivist because native speakers use them.

e.g., 1) Anaphoric ‘to’, it is correct and acceptable according to modern grammar.

         2) Someone wants to improve his /her/their English.

         Traditionally, only the pronoun his/her were considered correct but presently ‘their’ is considered correct and more acceptable by some people because it has no gender bias (ºÞÏíÕí).

        It should be remembered that descriptivism doesn’t allow an ‘anything is acceptable’ approach. Something is acceptable only when a large number of speakers use it.

Grammaticality and Acceptability

e.g., Everyone wants to improve their/his/her appearance.

         According to traditional grammar rules, ‘everyone’ is singular; hence it can take only the pronoun ‘his/her’. But the pronoun ‘their’ is increasingly be used. We can say that the pronoun ‘their’ was ungrammatical till recently it becomes acceptable.

                  Thus a construction is grammatical if it conforms to (agree) rules of grammar.

                       But a construction that is grammatical may not be used by people.

e.g., He is older than I.

        A construction is said to be acceptable when it is used by a large number of people. Grammaticality and Acceptability are two related but distinct notions.

Appropriateness (Suitability) and Usage of Grammar According to the Context.

     Language is not used exactly used in the same way in all situations and contexts. Depending on the situation and the people present, there will be slight         major variations  in the tone , vocabulary formality /informality, politeness etc. Likewise, language can be spoken or written.

    Some language users (varieties) are appropriate in some situations but totally unsuitable in some other situations.

e.g., A very formal tone and structure is not acceptable when you talk to friends/parents.

Like ‘‘ÎÞÄÞçÕ, ÆÏÕÞÏß ®ÈßAí çÍ޼Ȣ ÈWµâ’ in Malayalam.

   Or it is inappropriate to speak informally or with formality on a stage. Grammatical rules are also not observed  equally strictly in all situations.

*The cow suckled its calf.

*It’s raining.

                                                              Informal                     formal

    On scale of informality to formality (as above), we would be observing grammar rules least strictly in the most informal situations. In the most formal situations (e.g., When in an interview, a public function, academic writing, Official report, seminar presentation, news, religious ceremonies, official communication etc.) the rules would be observed most strictly.

    Thus appropriateness, observation of grammatical rules etc. depends to a great extend on contexts.

                                                                                                                                                                          -Anjoe-