Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar
Prescriptive grammar attempts to define how a language should be used. It’s important and necessary, because it maintains a touchstone that keeps language from diversifying too widely. Without it, eventually we might no longer understand each other’s speech or writing. Schools teach prescriptive grammar, giving us all a common standard of usage. Descriptive grammar reflects how people actually speak and write, in practice. Real people in casual situations say “ain’t” and “gonna,” and put sentences together in a different order … Read More »