Descriptive vs Prescriptive grammar

Do you consider yourself a SNOOT?

"Listening to most people’s public English feels like watching somebody use a Stradivarius to pound nails".

What do you say about this article?

"I have heard the phrase, "I could care less" rather than, "I couldn’t care less." I find I almost cringe when I hear less-than acceptable grammar and...when a person isn’t articulate.

I’ve noticed even on television, "went (or gone) missing" rather than disappeared when a person is involved. You did really good rather than well. University education t.v. anchor/reporters, tend to be sloppy when it comes to using adverbs. I’d have thought by the time "talking heads" were on television, correct grammar and articulation, would be part of what they talk about...apparently not.

I had a typing teacher in high school, who attempted to teach us verbs and adverbs but somehow, along the way, the grammar gets forgotten".

Descriptive grammar:

The systematic study and description of a language. Descriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by speakers and writers.

• How people use language in everyday speech

• How our language works

• Part of our "natural" language

Prescriptive grammar:

A set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and word structures of a language, usually intended as an aid to the learning of that language. Prescriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should beused.

• What we are told we should not do with language

• Determined by some notion of authority

• Must be explicitly learned

Some Prescriptive Rules:

• No split infinitives

• No double negatives; they’re "illogical"

• Use "who" and "whom" properly

• Prepositions should not end sentences

• Use "I" instead of "me"

• Use "good" and "well" correctly

Do these rules really apply in everyday speech?

Examples of Split infinitives:
Regresar

• To boldly go where no man has gone before.

• We have to happily attend the last class to satisfactorily conclude the course.

• She needs to carefully assemble that model.

• They like to weekly demur the information.

Examples of Sentence-final prepositions:

• What does that widget attach to?

• Who did you go to the concert with?

• Prepositions should not be used to finish a sentence with.

• Who is going to give the money to?

• Who are you going to dance with?

Examples of "Who" vs. "Whom":

• Who did Sally punch?

• You gave your car to who?

• Who did you explain the lesson?*

• You admitted that it has to be done quickly to who?

• The man at the door was not who she had expected.*

Execise:

1. Research has shown that children (who/whom) have been overprotected often become adults for (who/whom) life is difficult beyond the family circle.

2. Parents often transmit to their children ideas about (who/whom) to respect in society.

3. (Who/Whom) was at the game last night?

4. Ray, (who/whom) we all know and love, will not be at tending this week’s meeting.

5. To (who/whom) did you speak about the job opening?

6. For (who/whom) did you vote?

7. (whom/Who) is the best pitcher on the team?

8. He is a wonderful man (who/whom) is destined for great things.

Double Negatives:

It refers to the use of two negatives in a single sentence.

Examples:

1-I don’t need none.

2- I don’t want to go nowhere.

3- I can’t get no satisfaction.

4- I’m not gonna do no homework today.

5- I barely got no sleep last night.

6- It was so hot, I couldn’t hardly breathe.

7- I ain’t never gonna do no homework.

8-I ain’t gonna take nothing from nobody.

9-You ain’t never gonna go nowhere with me if you act like that.

11- That person is not unfamiliar to me.

12- This essay is clearly not nonsense.

13- I receive a not insufficient allowance.

14- He went missing.

15- Me and my students teach English.

16- There is many people there.

Bothe types of grammars use their corresponding set of rules:

Specialist in descriptive, who are linguists, deal with rules that underlie the use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Supporters of prescriptive grammar, who are editors and teachers, are concern with rules that they believe show us what is the "correct" or "incorrect" way of using the language.

Some Preliminary Conclusions:

• Prescriptive grammars do not accurately describe the form and function of natural language

• Prescriptive rules must be learned; they are not part of a native language for a child

• Prescriptive rules are based on ideas about what language should be, even though some of the characteristics of prescriptive grammars are not generally true about many languages of the world.

• People often differ on what should and should not be part of a prescriptive grammar

• Descriptive grammars attempt to describe the natural form and function of a language through scientific methods

• Judgments about descriptive rules are generally uniform across speakers.

Why follow Prescriptive Rules?

• Symbol of status in society

• Can affect listener’s judgment of a speaker

• What we were taught

Este es un artículo de prueba en el cual escribiremos algunas pocas lineas para praticar como insertar artículos a mi blog de blogia.

Ami articulo le puedo añadir imágenes e hipervínculos para enriquecerlo con más elementos y no sdolamente el texto. Como hago entonces para añadir los componentes que mencionamos. Para hacerlo habrá que seguir los pasos siguientes:

La Globalización

Para seguir escribiendo simplemete bajo mi cursor y continúo haciéndolo.