Preskriptive

Preskriptive refers to an approach to language that prescribes how language should be used, rather than how it is used. In linguistics and education, it denotes normative rules about "correct" or "standard" usage and is the counterpart of descriptive linguistics.

The term and concept date from early modern grammarians who sought to standardize language. Notable figures include Robert Lowth and Lindley Murray in English, whose grammar books established rules intended to guide writers toward "proper" usage. Similar prescriptive traditions emerged in other languages and long influenced schools, dictionaries, and editing.

Common prescriptive practices include rules about punctuation, spelling, syntax, and word choice. Examples often cited include avoiding ending sentences with prepositions, not splitting infinitives, ensuring subject–verb agreement, and preferring certain spellings. These guidelines are widely disseminated through school curricula and style guides.

Relationship to descriptive linguistics: Descriptive linguistics records how people actually speak and write, while prescriptivism imposes normative standards. Modern linguistics tends to favor descriptive analysis, though prescriptive norms persist in teaching, proofreading, and editorial policy. Style guides such as the Chicago Manual of Style or The Associated Press guide embody prescriptive norms for formal writing.

Criticism and contemporary role: Critics argue prescriptivism reinforces outdated norms and marginalizes dialects and language change. Proponents contend it provides clarity, consistency, and mutual intelligibility in formal communication. In practice, preskriptive approaches coexist with descriptive descriptions of language variation.