prescriptive grammar

an approach to grammar in which a series of rules is used to distinguish proper from improper usage and a standard version of the language is identified and promoted (see standard language). It is often contrasted with descriptive grammar, in which the goal is to provide an accurate account of language use without specification as to correctness. Prescriptive grammarians seek to correct nonstandard forms, such as I can’t get no satisfaction, whereas descriptive grammarians seek to characterize the rule system that produces such utterances.

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Psychology term of the day

December 31st 2024

Piltz’s reflex

an automatic and involuntary increase in the size of the pupil when attending to an object or event. [Jan Piltz (1870–1931), Polish neurologist]