Correctness in English
- Submitted by: Chawhar
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 02/09/2016 03:45 PM
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'Correctness in language use is determined by what native speakers accept, not what grammarians dictate'.
Both prescriptive and descriptive complement the correctness in language. Because language is uniquely human, it tells a story about a people, it holds mysteries of their traditions, heritage as well as culture. Imposing grammar rules on the language that the native speakers; dictating how they ought to use their language does not mean that what was used initially was incorrect. The language that was used initially served its purpose for communication. However, in as much as the native speakers use their language to communicate, languages do have a structure. The structured language would commonly be referred to as the standard variety which has to be taught or learned in school. Thus the social context would be important in determining which approach is most appropriate to assess correctness.
Critics of the prescriptive approach question the prescriptive judgement of how language ought to be used. For example, “You need a driving instructor who you confidence in…” to point at the error that prescriptivism would pick up on. English grammar dictates that the accusative whom is necessary with the proposition in, although whom is strangely shunned by English speakers, Huddlesston and Pullum, (2002). This may mean that English speakers should embrace this word because the grammarians embrace it. We are then forced to ask, why is whom necessary if most English speakers will not use it?
Frank Palmer wrote in Grammar: “What is correct and what is not correct is ultimately only a matter of what is accepted by society, for language is a matter of conventions within society.” John Lyons echoed this in Language and Linguistics: “There are no absolute standards of correctness in language.” Pullum, (2004)
Reference
Pullum. K.G.(2004) Ideology, Power, and Linguistic Theory: An unpublished paper about
prescriptivism. University of Carlifonia, Santa Cruz Retrieved on...
Both prescriptive and descriptive complement the correctness in language. Because language is uniquely human, it tells a story about a people, it holds mysteries of their traditions, heritage as well as culture. Imposing grammar rules on the language that the native speakers; dictating how they ought to use their language does not mean that what was used initially was incorrect. The language that was used initially served its purpose for communication. However, in as much as the native speakers use their language to communicate, languages do have a structure. The structured language would commonly be referred to as the standard variety which has to be taught or learned in school. Thus the social context would be important in determining which approach is most appropriate to assess correctness.
Critics of the prescriptive approach question the prescriptive judgement of how language ought to be used. For example, “You need a driving instructor who you confidence in…” to point at the error that prescriptivism would pick up on. English grammar dictates that the accusative whom is necessary with the proposition in, although whom is strangely shunned by English speakers, Huddlesston and Pullum, (2002). This may mean that English speakers should embrace this word because the grammarians embrace it. We are then forced to ask, why is whom necessary if most English speakers will not use it?
Frank Palmer wrote in Grammar: “What is correct and what is not correct is ultimately only a matter of what is accepted by society, for language is a matter of conventions within society.” John Lyons echoed this in Language and Linguistics: “There are no absolute standards of correctness in language.” Pullum, (2004)
Reference
Pullum. K.G.(2004) Ideology, Power, and Linguistic Theory: An unpublished paper about
prescriptivism. University of Carlifonia, Santa Cruz Retrieved on...