Prescriptivism vs Descriptivism

Question 1

Prescriptivism

Answer 1

• The attitude or belief that the one variety of a language is superior to others.
• A believer of this is called a prescriptivist.
• Some precsiptivists want to force the variety of language to be as restricted as possible while other prescriptivists just want to police correct/right use of English.

Question 2

Robert Lane’s Prescriptivist Category

Stickerlist

Type of prescriptivist

Answer 2

• The attitude of policing the correct use of a language and scolding or correcting if usage is incorrect or illogical.

Question 3

Robert Lane’s Prescriptivist Category

Declinist

Type of Prescriptivist

Answer 3

• Belief that language quality is in an irreversible decline.

Question 4

Examples of modern day/common stickerlists

Answer 4

• People who correct people’s misuse of grammar such as the common ‘your and you’re’ or ‘they’re and there,’ online.