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passage 2
P1
Grammarians of the prescriptive school take it as part of their task to distinguish correct from incorrect usage in language and thereby to encourage the former. ████ ███████ ████ ██ ██ █████ ████ ████ ██ █████████ ████ ██ ██████████ █ ██████████ ████████ ████████ ████ ███████ ████ █████████ ███
Prescriptivists ·
Distinguish correct from incorrect language use
Prescriptivists want to encourage correct use.
Descriptivists ·
Describe actual usage
Descriptivists just want to describe how language is used. They think prescriptivists will fail to stop “incorrect” use.
Example ·
Supporting Descriptivists
“Data” is used as a singular noun rather than plural. That's one example of usage judged by prescriptivists to be incorrect, but over time has come to be accepted.
P2
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Descriptivists' Objection 1 ·
Scientific objection (language transformation inevitable)
Descriptivists object that language change is governed by laws similar to scientific laws. Prescriptivists can’t change them.
Descriptivists' Objection 2 ·
Egalitarian objection (imposing elite standards on language)
Descriptivists object that prescriptivists are immorally trying to impose their own language practices, which are those of the educated and rich elite.
P3
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Prescriptivists' Counter to 1 ·
Language laws not like science
Prescriptivists counter that laws governing language aren’t like scientific laws. We can influence language usage.
Prescriptivists' Counter to 2 ·
Inclusive aims of prescriptivists
Prescriptivists say that having a “correct” usage is important for free exchange of ideas. The goal of prescriptivists is to include, not exclude.
Passage Style
Critique or debate
6.
The passage says that the ███ ██ █████████████ ███████████ ██ ██
a
criticize the habits ██ ████████ █████
b
observe how language ██ ████████ ████
c
facilitate communication among ████████ █████
d
slow the pace ██ ██████████ ██████
e
influence laws that ██████ ████████ █████