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Who Makes Grammar Rules? |
If you learned about grammar in school, you were
probably taught to think about “correct” and “incorrect”
ways of using a language.
Maybe you had to “unlearn” some grammar patterns that
you heard at home because your teacher said they were
wrong.
Prescriptive Grammar
The traditional way of teaching grammar in school is
called prescriptive grammar. Grammar is seen as a set of
rules to follow. The rules are passed from one
generation to another. Those who do not follow the rules
are looked down upon as being careless or poorly
educated.
In America, the style of grammar used in academic,
government, and professional situations is called
Standard American English. There is no official
government agency in the United States that makes rules
for the English language. In fact, the United States
does not even have an official language.
Teachers usually rely on tradition and popular style
guides to decide what proper grammar is.
Descriptive Grammar
Descriptive grammar takes a different approach.
Descriptive grammarians observe and analyze language as
it is used in different communities. They look for rules
and patterns that people follow. In descriptive grammar,
there is no correct or incorrect way of using grammar.
For example, a prescriptive grammarian might say, “Don’t
use a double negative because it is illogical.” A
descriptive grammarian might say, “Some communities use
double negatives and some do not. Why is that?” We’ll
talk more about double negatives later.
Dr. Richard Epstein is a linguist at Rutgers University
in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Epstein says that most people
do not understand the social and political processes
behind grammar rules.
“Nobody knows why we should not use ‘ain’t’ or why we
should not use double negatives because the teachers
teach these things as if they were simply rules that
came down from some higher power, authority, maybe God,
and there’s no rhyme or reason taught for the reason
what the reason is for the existence of these rules. So
it seems quite boring and totally arbitrary.”
The Case of the Double Negative
Dr. Epstein says grammar rules have nothing to do with
logic. Instead, they are based on social fashions,
politics, and power. He gives the example of the double
negative.
As we mentioned on an episode of Everyday Grammar,
certain types of double negative words are not allowed
in Standard American English. For example, “I don’t know
nothing.” The two words “don’t” and nothing” are both
negative. Most Americans were taught that double
negatives are illogical.
In math, two negatives equal a positive. But is this
true in language? Does “I don’t know nothing” mean “I
know something.”? Of course not. It just makes a
stronger negative. The rule against the double negative
does not come from math; it comes from Robert Lowth, the
bishop of London.
Robert Lowth’s book A Short Introduction to English
Grammar, first published in 1762, prohibited the double
negative. Dr. Epstein says that random grammar rules
were a way for the upper classes of London to protect
themselves from a rising middle class.
“The upper classes became concerned that people below
them were getting educated and getting access to sources
of power. So to protect their own status and authority
people started to prescribe rules for grammar. And if
you couldn’t follow those rules then you didn’t have
access to power and authority like the rich people of
the day.”
Ain’t ‘ain’t’ a word?
Here’s another example. American children are taught
that “ain’t” is not a word. However, many Americans say
“ain’t” in place of “is not” or “are not.” Listen to
this song by Bob Dylan.
Someone to open each and every door
But it ain’t me, babe
No, no, no it ain’t me, babe
It ain’t me you’re looking for, babe
American school teachers told children to stop using the
word “ain’t” in the 1800s. But long ago, the word “ain’t”
was the proper negative contraction for “I am not.”
Ironically, the British upper classes continued to use “ain’t”
after the Americans banned it. Dr. Epstein explains.
“Knowing that regular folks used ‘ain’t’ but the upper
classes of the United States didn’t, they created this
sort of fake rule that you shouldn’t use ‘ain’t’ because
it didn’t make sense. Of course it makes perfect sense
to anybody who says it. But now we have this rule.”
So who makes the grammar rules? In America, the grammar
patterns of rich white men are the basis of Standard
American English, Epstein says. Nobody will go to jail
for ignoring grammar rules. But they will have
difficulty getting into the best schools and finding
good jobs.
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet…
B-b-b-baby you just ain’t seen nothin’ yet
I’m Adam Brock.
Adam Brock wrote this story for VOA Learning English.
Kathleen Struck was the editor. |
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