Describing Prescriptivism: Usage Guides and Usage Problems in British and American English

Describing Prescriptivism provides a comprehensive analysis of linguistic prescriptivism in British and American English, comparing usage guides with actual usage and analyzing public attitudes. It is a valuable resource for students and researchers of prescriptivism, the history of English, and sociolinguistics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Describing Prescriptivism offers a comprehensive and insightful examination of linguistic prescriptivism in British and American English, encompassing both historical and contemporary perspectives. The book delves into the realm of usage guides and usage problems, employing a three-pronged approach to provide a thorough analysis of the subject matter.

Firstly, it conducts a detailed study of the advice offered in usage guides throughout history, encompassing a wide range of sources such as dictionaries, style manuals, and grammar books. This analysis aims to shed light on the evolution of prescriptive norms and their influence on language usage.

Secondly, the book conducts an authoritative comparison of the advice provided in usage guides with actual usage patterns as recorded in British and American corpora. This includes the utilization of the Hyper Usage Guide of English (HUGE) database, a specialized resource developed specifically for this line of study, as well as more mainstream corpora such as the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA), and the British National Corpus (BNC). By comparing the two, the book seeks to assess the extent to which prescriptive norms align with actual language usage.

Thirdly, the book delves into the attitudes of the general public toward specific usage problems. To accomplish this, surveys were distributed online through the Bridging the Unbridgeable research projects blog. The responses obtained provide valuable insights into the public's perception of language usage and their attitudes towards prescriptive norms.

Throughout the book, extensive case studies are employed to illustrate and support the claims made. These case studies encompass a diverse range of topics, including spelling, grammar, word usage, and pronunciation, and serve to highlight the practical implications and complexities of prescriptivism.

Describing Prescriptivism is an essential resource for students and researchers interested in prescriptivism, the history of English, and sociolinguistics. The book provides a thorough and nuanced understanding of the topic, offering valuable insights into the evolution of prescriptive norms, their influence on language usage, and the perspectives of the general public toward particular usage problems.

Weight: 530g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032337876