prescriptive grammar
- noun
- /prɪˈskrɪptɪv ˈɡræmər/
- Specialized
:
gramática prescriptiva
- The rules of prescriptive grammar dictate that split infinitives should be avoided in formal writing.
Examples
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Many students find prescriptive grammar challenging because it stresses strict adherence to rules instead of everyday language.
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At that time, the teaching of prescriptive grammar was the norm in British schools, but that hasn't been true for the last forty years or so.
Blog text (31) -
The discussion surrounding prescriptive grammar versus descriptive grammar reveals a conflict between traditional rules and contemporary language use.
Antonyms
- Specialized
A description of how people actually use a language, not how they should speak
How Prescriptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'prescriptive' (imposing norms or rules) modifies 'grammar' (rules of language), so the phrase denotes grammar based on prescribed norms rather than actual usage. This construction follows ordinary modifier+noun composition and is cross-linguistically parallel, making it accessible to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Prescriptive grammar comes from the idea of a doctor writing a prescription: prescriptive means giving fixed instructions and grammar means the rules of a language. So, 'prescriptive grammar' refers to rules that tell people how language 'should' be used, rather than how people actually speak.