Prescriptivism vs Descriptivism

Question 1

Prescriptivists

Answer 1

favour rules that identify the correct language usage. They believe that language should be spoken and written in a certain way which means using Standard English and RP.

Question 2

Descriptivists

Answer 2

seek to describe, objectively, how language is used. Change is inevitable so its unreliable to try and stop it.

Question 3

David Crystal (descriptivist)

Answer 3

argues that language change is neither progress or decay, as all language change in different ways

Question 4

Jean Aitchson (descriptivist)

Answer 4

suggests that the use of double negatives is merely a means of emphasising a point. Whilst prescriptivists would argue that it expresses a positive.

Question 5

John Humphrys (prescriptivist)

Answer 5

‘unless you get into the habit of being precise, you will be open to misunderstanding’

Question 6

Cameron 1995 (descriptivist)

Answer 6

argued that prescriptivists shouldn’t be discounted as just people being fussy. They understand that language is an important social tool and care about how it is used.