Descriptive vs Prescriptive Grammar

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Questions and Answers

Prescriptive grammar rules for English are based on the idea that English should be like which language?

  • Spanish
  • French
  • Italian
  • Latin (correct)

What is the reason given in the text for why infinitives cannot be split in Latin?

  • Latin grammar does not allow for split infinitives.
  • Latin infinitives have a different structure compared to English infinitives.
  • Latin infinitives are always used in their complete form.
  • Infinitives in Latin are single words and cannot be interrupted by other words. (correct)

Which of the following is an example of a split infinitive in English?

  • To eat quickly
  • To eat and run
  • To eat and walk
  • To quickly eat (correct)

What is the grammatical option for including certain expressions in English when it comes to split infinitives?

<p>To avoid split infinitives (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Does the rule of not splitting infinitives apply to all languages?

<p>No, it depends on the specific language. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of the article mentioned in the text?

<p>Prescriptive grammar (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of prescriptive grammar rules?

<p>To standardize the English language (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why do some prescriptive grammarians think English should be like Latin?

<p>Because they believe Latin is the ideal language (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point the text makes about language patterns?

<p>Languages can have different rules in their grammars. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between descriptive and prescriptive grammar?

<p>Descriptive grammar focuses on usage, while prescriptive grammar focuses on rules. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Prescriptive Grammar Rules

  • Prescriptive grammar rules in English are based on the idea that English should be like Latin.

Infinitives in Latin and English

  • In Latin, infinitives cannot be split because Latin infinitives are single words.
  • In English, infinitives can be split, and an example of a split infinitive is "to boldly go".
  • The grammatical option in English for including certain expressions is to split infinitives.

Universality of Grammar Rules

  • The rule of not splitting infinitives does not apply to all languages.

Purpose of Prescriptive Grammar Rules

  • The purpose of prescriptive grammar rules is to standardize language use.

Grammarians' Viewpoint

  • Some prescriptive grammarians believe English should be like Latin because they think Latin is a "perfect" language.

Language Patterns

  • The main point the text makes about language patterns is that they vary across languages.

Types of Grammar

  • Descriptive grammar focuses on describing how language is used, whereas prescriptive grammar focuses on prescribing how language should be used.

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