Group 4

Prescriptive
Grammar
Anoy, Bermas, Briones, Hernandez,
Moreno, Rigalario
 Where does Prescriptive
Grammar Come from?
In modern linguistics, "prescriptive grammar"
refers to a grammar method that arose in the
18th century and peaked in the 19th century, as
seen by the enormous number of grammars
created.
 Where does Prescriptive
Grammar Come from?
It is also known as normative grammar and
prescriptivism. A prescriptivist or prescriptive
grammarian is someone who tells others how to
write or talk.
 Rise of the Prescriptive
Grammar in the 18th Century
To many people in the middle decades of the
eighteenth century, the language was indeed
seriously unwell. It was suffering from a raging
disease of uncontrolled usage. There was an
urgency surrounding the notion of a standard
language, in the eighteenth century.
 Rise of the Prescriptive
Grammar in the 18th Century
The prescriptive grammarians went out of their way to invent
as many rules as possible which might distinguish polite from
impolite speech. But these rules were propounded with
maximum authority and severity, and given plausibility by the
claim that they were going to help people to be clear and
precise. As a result, generations of schoolchildren would be
taught them, and confused by them.
 Prescriptive Grammarians
Are judgmental and attempting to change
linguistic behavior of a particular sort and in a
particular direction.
 Prescriptive Grammarians
Believes that there are correct and wrong ways
to use language and that books about language
should give rules to follow, rather than
describing how language is really used.
Prescriptive Grammar
According to Richard Nordquist,
prescriptive grammar refers to a set of
norms or rules governing how a language
should or should not be used rather than
describing the ways in which a language is
actually used.
5 Basic Rules or Grammar
Rules of Prescriptive
Grammar:
1. Run on Sentences
2. Sentence Fragments
3. Subject/Verb Agreement
4. Plural and Possessive
5. The Capitalization Rules
1. Run on Sentences or a
Fused Sentences
It is called a fused sentence or run on sentences
because there are 2 independent clauses which are not
connected properly. This happens when we use a
comma to connect the 2 independent clauses.
1. Run on Sentences or a
Fused Sentences
Example:
Incorrect: I love this dress, it's so colorful.
Correct: I love this dress because it's so colorful.
Correct: I love this dress. It's so colorful.
2. Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments are usually missing a subject or
verb, or they do not express a complete thought.
While it may be punctuated to look like a complete
sentence, a fragment cannot stand on its own.
Here are the distinguishing
features of a sentence
fragment:
1) It is missing a subject
Example: Ran to the store faster than a rabbit.
(Who ran?)
Here are the distinguishing
features of a sentence
fragment:
2) It is missing a verb or has the wrong verb form.
Example: My favorite history teacher. (What did the
teacher do or say?)
Here are the distinguishing
features of a sentence
fragment:
3) It is a leftover phrase.
Example: For better or worse. (What is better or
worse? What is it modifying?)
Here are the distinguishing
features of a sentence
fragment:
4) It is an abandoned clause.
Example: When my mother married my father.
(What happened when “my mother married my
father?”)
 Here are the distinguishing
features of a sentence
fragment:
5) It is a misuse of “such as, for example, especially,” etc.
Example: Such as, my brother was practicing martial
arts. (It is unclear; did something happen when my
brother was practicing martial arts?)
3. Subject/Verb Agreement
As the name suggests, the subject and the verb must
compliment each other. It's either singular or plural. A
singular subject noun or pronoun must have a
singular verb.
3. Subject/Verb Agreement
Example: The child plays with the doll.

We have the singular subject here which is the child and a singular
verb plays. Meanwhile, a plural subject noun or pronoun must have
a plural verb.

Example: The children play with the doll.

We have here the plural subject the children and the plural verb
play.
4. Plural and Possessive
The plural 's' indicates multiple things such as dogs,
cats, bananas, apples.

The possessive 's' indicates ownership.

4. Plural and Possessive
Example: Car
Note: To make the word plural, you just simply need to add an
‘s’. So, it will be ‘Cars’. If you want to show possession just add
an apostrophe and it will be Car's but if the car is belonged to
more than one owner, the 's' will be added at the end of the
word (cars') to show that it is a plural possesive.
5. The Capitalization Rules

The words that needs to be capitalized are

the following:
1) First word in a sentence.
Example: I drink coffee every morning.

2) Proper Nouns
Example: John Lloyd and Darwin.

3) Titles
Example: Pride and Prejudice
4) Directions used as sections of a country.
Example: Korea, Japan, America

5) Days
Example: Monday

6) Months
Example: November
7) Holidays
Example: Independence Day

8) Nationalities
Example: Filipino

9) Language
Example: English
10) Historial Age and Events
Example: Modern Age

11) Trademarks 13) Names of Planets

Example: Nike Example: Earth

12) Acronym
Example: CHED
 Examples of
Prescriptive Grammar
"We are to go quickly into store," as opposed to, "we
are to quickly go into the store."

"You are making less money than I am," as opposed

to, "you are making fewer monies than I am."
'To where are you going?' as opposed to 'where are you
going to?'

'Things are going well for me,' as opposed to, 'things

are good for me.'

'Dogs want to howl loudly at the moon,' as opposed

to, 'Dogs want to loudly howl at the moon.
 The Difference Between
Descriptive Grammar and
Prescriptive Grammar:
PRESCRIPTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
It emphasizes proper It does not consider
and improper norms. what is correct.
It values judgment. It does not value
judgment.
 PRESCRIPTIVE DESCRIPTIVE

Rules are not natural, Rules are natural that

it must be taught. need to be learned.
Used mainly in fields Used mainly in
like education and
academic linguistic
publishing.
Set of rules is based
on how language is
actually used.
 Advantages of
Prescriptive Grammar
(+) Teaching prescriptive grammar creates
formal writers and resources.

(+) Teaching prescriptive grammar is

beneficial for both non-native teachers and
learners.
 Disadvantage of
Prescriptive Grammar
(-) Prescriptive grammar might keep non-
native speakers wondering and confused
when they talk with a native speaker.
 Thank you!
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