1

Studying the Role of Traditional, Prescriptive

and

Descriptive Grammar for the

Improvement of

Writing Skills

Presented to: Miss Urooj Alvi,

Presented by: Khurram Piracha

Roll #: 26

M. Phil Applied Linguistics,

Minhaj University,

Lahore.

2

What is Grammar?

Etymology

The word Grammar, is derived from the Greek word, Gramma, which signifies a

letter. In fact, etymologically, 'grammar' is related to the word 'glamour' though some

students may be unwilling to accept such a connection between the two words

(Carroll 1865).Hence, this word has come to be the same of those rules, (collectively

taken, called an art,) which govern letters in their train from their alphabetical station,

into words, and thence into sentences. A printed sentence is an instrument replete with

thought, formed by a continued combination of letters and Grammar is the name of

the various rules which regulate the complex process in this mechanical combination.

Definition

A grammar of language is a description of the four components of language, namely,

the sounds (phonology), words (morphology) sentences (syntax) and meaning

(semantics).

More Explanation

A grammar of a language is often codified as a set of rules. All of us abide by certain

rules in society. All languages have fixed parameters or set of rules at each level which

are to be followed to produce 'grammatical' utterances. The number of sentences in a

language is infinite set to a "finite system of sentence forming principles. By 'system'

3

here we mean a set of grammatical choices and relations, which show how the

sentences of a language are constructed and how different types of sentences are

interrelated" (Verma 1979).

Traditional Grammar

The collection of prescriptive rules and concepts about the structure of the language. "We

say that traditional grammar is prescriptive because it focuses on the distinction between

what some people do with language and what they ought to do with it, according to a pre-

established standard. . . . The chief goal of traditional grammar, therefore, is perpetuating

a historical model of what supposedly constitutes proper language." (J. D. Williams, The

Teacher's Grammar Book. Routledge, 2005)

Prescriptive Grammar

1. 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 be used.

Traditional grammar tends to be prescriptive. It lays down the norms of correct usage,

the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. It is quite dogmatic, and makes clear distinctions between

‘good’ and ‘bad’ grammar. It is typically expressed in the following terms:

Never end a sentence with a preposition.

Never begin a sentence with ‘And’.

4

Do not split the infinitive (e.g., *to really understand).

Do not use ‘shall’ for ‘will’ or vice versa.

Use ‘must’ for internal compulsion, and ‘have to’ for external compulsion.

As Odlin (1994, p. 1) notes, “Much of the time, though not always, decisions about

what is good and bad are essentially arbitrary and do not often reflect any crucial

principle of language or thought.” Thus, traditional grammar is often inaccurate and

subjective, and tends to ignore actual usage. It ignores the fact that a living language

is constantly in flux, and it tries to preserve features and distinctions that have long

since fallen by the way, such as the subjunctive (which hardly exists any more in

modern English) and several modal verb fine distinctions (such as the usage contrasts

that are supposed to exist between can/may, must/have to, shall/will but which no

longer apply today). The problem is that modern descriptive grammars say that

certain forms are acceptable, while usage manuals (and word processing grammar

checkers) say the opposite. For instance, the COBUILD grammar says that splitting

the infinitive is common even among educated users of English, whereas usage

manuals still castigate it as a grievous error. The former is clearly descriptive while

the latter is prescriptive.

Prescriptive grammar rules sometimes bear little relation to modern English usage. As

Hung (2003, p. 44) notes, “The grammar of a language resides not in books but in the

minds of its speakers”.

5

Observations

"There has always been a tension between the descriptive and prescriptive functions of

grammar. Currently, descriptive grammar is dominant among theorists, but prescriptive

grammar is taught in the schools and exercises a range of social effects."

(Ann Bodine, "Androcentrism in Prescriptive Grammar." The Feminist Critique of

Language, ed. D. Cameron. Routledge, 1998)

"All languages adhere to syntactical rules of one sort or another, but the rigidity of these

rules is greater in some languages. It is very important to distinguish between the

syntactical rules that govern a language and the rules that a culture imposes on its

language. This is the distinction between descriptive grammar and prescriptive

grammar. Descriptive grammars are essentially scientific theories that attempt to explain

how language works. The goal of the descriptivist is to simply state how language

actually works. People spoke long before there were linguists around to uncover the rules

of speaking. The intent of descriptive grammar is to posit explanations for the facts of

language use, and there is no assumption of correctness or appropriateness. Prescriptive

grammars, on the other hand, are the stuff of high school English teachers. They

'prescribe,' like medicine for what ails you, how you 'ought' to speak."

(Donald G. Ellis, From Language to Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)

Advantages

Prescriptive Grammar teaching is valuable for the following reasons:

(1) Identical language plan should be provided which gives a better learning opportunity.

6

(2) Association will not allow any newness regarding the formations of English language.

(3) Junior students will be confused if given new rules.

(4) This gives a unique language pattern.

(5) PG stops emerging different dialects as they create differentiation among the use of

language structures.

(6) PG brings harmony and resemblance among far-fetched areas in which different nations

live and tie in the bond of communication.

Descriptive Grammar

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.

Nowadays, nobody knowingly teaches old-fashioned prescriptive grammar,

and Structuralist grammar is not nearly as popular as it used to be. Prescriptive grammar

has been replaced by modern descriptive grammar, which describes language as it is, not

as it should be. Modern descriptive grammar came rather later with the much-quoted A

Grammar of Contemporary English by Quirk et al. (1972), A comprehensive grammar of

the English language by Quirk et al. (1985), The Oxford English grammar by Greenbaum

(1996), the Longman grammar of spoken and written English by Biber et al. (1999) and

The Cambridge grammar of the English language by Huddleston and Pullum

7

Advantages

DG, primarily, guides the user as to how language is used. It is like an unfathomable

reservoir which tends to accept latest variations in language. It is concerned with the

resolution to break the traditional irons which has bound the humans to use the language

only on the given track of rules. It allows the language users to say if they like “It is me.”

With the globalization, humans need to expand or flourish relations beyond the borders. In

this situation of expansion, we are no longer in favour of sticking to speak like a robot.

“Descriptive grammar is essentially scientific theory that attempts to explain how language

works. The goal of the descriptivist is to simply state how language actually works. People

spoke long before there were linguists around to uncover the rules of speaking. The intent

of descriptive grammar is to posit explanations for the facts of language use, and there is no

assumption of correctness or appropriateness.” (Donald G. Ellis, From Language to

Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)

Exploring in the domain of descriptive grammar, we cannot help saying that it has

scientific approach of language use that is more appealing and easier. Thus, descriptive

grammar observes and records how language is used in function and advocates teaching the

function of grammatical structures.

Conflict between both the Grammars

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

8

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 a term in a format environment

Different kinds of Grammars

Comparative Grammar

The analysis and comparison of the grammatical structures of related languages. (R.

Freidin, Principles and Parameters in Comparative Grammar. MIT Press, 1991)

Generative Grammar

The rules determining the structure and interpretation of sentences that speakers accept as

belonging to the language. "Simply put, a generative grammar is a theory of competence.

(F. Parker and K. Riley, Linguistics for Non-Linguists. Allyn and Bacon, 1994)

Pedagogical Grammar

Grammatical analysis and instruction designed for second-language students. (D. Little,

"Words and Their Properties: Arguments for a Lexical Approach to Pedagaogical

Grammar." Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar, ed. by T. Odlin. Cambridge Univ.

Press, 1994)

9

Transformational Grammar

A theory of grammar that accounts for the constructions of a language by linguistic

transformations and phrase structures. "In transformational grammar, the term 'rule' is

used not for a precept set down by an external authority but for a principle that is

unconsciously yet regularly followed in the production and interpretation of sentences. A

rule is a direction for forming a sentence or a part of a sentence, which has been

internalized by the native speaker." (D. Bornstein, An Introduction to Transformational

Grammar. Univ. Press of America, 1984)

Universal Grammar

The system of categories, operations, and principles shared by all human languages and

considered to be innate. "Taken together, the linguistic principles of Universal Grammar

constitute a theory of the organization of the initial state of the mind/brain of the language

learner--that is, a theory of the human faculty for language." (S. Crain and R. Thornton,

Investigations in Universal Grammar. MIT Press, 2000)

Aim of teaching grammar

Grammar may be taught with a view to giving clear idea regarding the function of

individual words in a sentence and their relationship with one another.

Place of grammar in the teaching of English

What exactly the place of grammar in the teaching of English has been a subject of heated

controversy between the Ancients (Traditionalists) and the Moderns (advocates of Direct

Method). The ancients put a lot of emphasis on hold the opinion that the teaching of

10

grammar as the basis of language learning. On the other hand, the Moderns hold that

creativity is lost through the teaching the set rules of grammar.

How Can We Help Students in Learning Grammar to Improve their Skills

We can help the students by giving them the basic information and the drilling of the

following areas in English language learning.

1 The Use of Article

In English, knowing when to use 'a' or 'the' can be difficult. Fortunately, there are rules

to help you, but you need to know what type of noun you are using.

A somewhat arbitrarily defined small group of determiners that are placed before nouns.

Articles standing alone have little meaning; when used with a noun they can indicate

whether the noun refers to a specific one or ones of its type or whether it refers to its type

in general. In Spanish, the articles also specify the noun's gender.

2. Tenses and their use in a sentence

The time of a verb's action or state of being, such as past, present, or future.

They are verb forms that indicate, or can indicate, a relationship between the time the

action in a verb occurs and the time the verb is uttered. A verb tense can also give an

indication of the duration of the verb's action and when or if it is completed.

3. Narration

11

In composition studies, one of the traditional modes of discourse that recounts an event or

a series of related events. Narration, in literature, is the telling of the story through one or

more viewpoints. Different viewpoints include: First person: uses first person pronouns

"I", "me", "myself"; Third person: uses pronouns "he", "she", "they," "them", etc. without

directly referring to the narrator. Third person omnicient means the narrator, or author,

can "get in the heads" of all characters and narrate what is happening at all times in the

story rather than having one first person narrator telling about only what happens to him

or herself.

4. Punctuation

Set of marks used to regulate texts and clarify their meanings, principally by separating or

linking words, phrases, and clauses. It is the the practice or system of using certain

conventional marks or characters in writing or printing in order to separate elements and

make the meaning clear, as in ending a sentence or separating clauses.

5. Parts of Speech

A term in traditional grammar for the categories into which words are classified according to

their functions in sentences. There are eight (or nine) categories which form the parts of

speech. Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used.

6. Usage of commonly used words:

The words like accept and except; affect and effect; a lot and allot; economic and

economical; Principle, Principal; There, Their; Who, Which, That: etc.