Understanding Linguistics:

DESCRIPTIVE
GRAMMAR
Group 1
LET'S PLAY
A GAME!
"HEPHEP
HOORAY!"
AMERICAN:
"HEPHEP!"
BRITISH:
"HOORAY!"
"YOU ALRIGHT
LAD?"
BRITISH
"LET'S TAKE A
BREAK, I'M
JONESING FOR
PIZZA. "
AMERICAN
"C'MON, SPILL
THE BEANS
MAN!"
AMERICAN
"THERE ARE LOTS OF
BITS AND BOBS IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT
SURPRISES ME."
BRITISH
 "I HATE KATE
BECAUSE HE'S
ALWAYS TAKING
THE MICKEY"
BRITISH
DESCRIPTIVE
GRAMMAR
 The term descriptive
grammar refers to an
objective, nonjudgmental
DESCRIPTIVE description of the
GRAMMAR grammatical
constructions in a
language.
 It is a system by which
language is studied that
attempts to understand
DESCRIPTIVE how words and ideas are
GRAMMAR assembled in language,
rather than assigning rules
to how language should be
constructed.
 Descriptive grammar is
the use of grammar to
describe the native
DESCRIPTIVE speakers of a certain
GRAMMAR language, how they use the
language, the grammatical
standards and norms in
communication.
 It takes the principle
that the language
usage can vary
DESCRIPTIVE
according to varied
GRAMMAR speakers. Thus, it does
not consider what is
correct.
"DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR IS THE BASIS FOR
DICTIONARIES, WHICH RECORD CHANGES
IN VOCABULARY AND USAGE, AND FOR THE
FIELD OF LINGUISTICS, WHICH AIMS AT
DESCRIBING LANGUAGES AND
INVESTIGATING THE NATURE OF
LANGUAGE."
- From "Bad Language" by Edwin L. Battistella
Descriptive grammars are
written by linguists who study
how people create and use a
language. This type of grammar
is typically based on observation
and research into a language and
its various dialects.
From this research, grammarians
are able to discern how people
actually use language and then
establish rules or systems for
language construction based on
that usage.
Linguists who specialize in
descriptive grammar examine
the principles and patterns
that underlie the use of
words, phrases, clauses, and
sentences.
All academic research in
linguistics is descriptive; like all
other scientific disciplines, it
seeks to describe reality,
without the bias of preconceived
ideas about how it ought to be.
DESCRIPTIVE
VS
PRESCRIPTIVE
What's the difference?
"I AIN'T GOING
NOWHERE."
 SIMPLY HAVING THE WORD
"AIN'T" IN THE DICTIONARY
IS A FURTHER ILLUSTRATION
OF THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE TWO TYPES
OF GRAMMAR.
 IN CONCLUSION,
DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR
DOES NOT VALUE
JUDGEMENTS WHILE
PRESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR
DOES VALUE IT.
“She and me are arguing
about the presentation.”
She and I are arguing about the
presentation. EXAMPLES
“It was me who called you. “
It was I who called you.
“Who did you call?”
Whom did you call?

“Dogs want to loudly howl

EXAMPLES
at the moon.”
Dogs want to howl loudly at the moon.
Would a descriptive
grammarian ever EXAMPLES
say something was
ungrammatical?
 “Who where EXAMPLES
are you going?”
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
The descriptive grammar approach improves
non-native speakers’ pronunciation and helps
them sound like native speakers.

The descriptive grammar approach helps

language learners understand the applied usage
of language and communicate better with native
speakers.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

The descriptive grammar approach is sometimes

not used in formal settings, such as exams and
speech.
 THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING
Do you have any questions?