1. Write short notes on the following (2 * 10) = 20 )
(1) Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar
(2) Linguistic Sign
ANSWER :
(1) Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26 – The study of grammar has evolved through centuries, reflecting both how language should be used and how it is actually used. These two perspectives—prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar—represent fundamentally different approaches to understanding linguistic structure and usage. Both are important for a complete understanding of language, though they serve distinct purposes.
Prescriptive Grammar
Prescriptive grammar refers to a set of rules and norms that dictate how a language ought to be used. It prescribes the “correct” or “standard” form of language based on established conventions. This approach is rooted in the idea that certain grammatical forms and usages are superior or more refined than others.
Prescriptive grammar developed during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly when grammarians such as Robert Lowth, Lindley Murray, and others attempted to fix and codify the English language. They believed that language should be governed by logic, reason, and the models of classical Latin and Greek. Their goal was to promote clarity, uniformity, and elegance in communication.
For instance, prescriptive rules often include:
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Avoiding double negatives (“I don’t know nothing” → “I don’t know anything”)
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Not ending a sentence with a preposition (“This is the book I was looking for” is acceptable, but traditional prescriptivists would prefer “This is the book for which I was looking.”)
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Using “whom” instead of “who” in the object position (“Whom did you see?”)
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Avoiding split infinitives (“to boldly go” → “to go boldly”)
Such rules are often taught in schools, used in formal writing, and emphasized in grammar textbooks. The goal of prescriptive grammar is to maintain a standardized form of the language that promotes effective and clear communication across speakers of different regions or social groups.
However, prescriptive grammar has been criticized for being rigid, elitist, and unrealistic. Languages are living systems that constantly evolve; trying to “freeze” them in a particular state disregards natural linguistic change. Prescriptivism often reflects social hierarchies, valuing the language of the educated or upper class over dialects or colloquial speech. For example, insisting that “ain’t” or regional variations like “y’all” are “incorrect” ignores their communicative effectiveness and cultural significance.
Descriptive Grammar
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– In contrast, descriptive grammar aims to describe how language is actually used by speakers in real life, without judging correctness. It observes and analyzes the patterns, rules, and structures that naturally occur in speech and writing. Descriptive grammar is the foundation of modern linguistics, pioneered by scholars like Ferdinand de Saussure, Leonard Bloomfield, and Noam Chomsky (in his early structuralist phase).
For example, a descriptive grammarian does not say that a sentence like “I don’t know nothing” is wrong; instead, they note that in some dialects of English, double negatives are used for emphasis rather than cancellation. Similarly, descriptive grammar accepts variations such as “He don’t like it” or “I seen him yesterday” as legitimate patterns within certain speech communities.
Descriptive grammar focuses on:
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Phonology (sound systems)
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Morphology (word formation)
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Syntax (sentence structure)
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Semantics (meaning)
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Pragmatics (contextual language use)
By analyzing how people naturally speak, linguists identify underlying grammatical rules that govern language use. These rules are often subconscious; native speakers follow them instinctively without formal instruction.
Relationship and Importance
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– Both approaches are valuable in their own ways. Prescriptive grammar provides a common standard that supports formal education, professional communication, and cross-regional understanding. Descriptive grammar, however, gives a scientific and inclusive view of language as a social and psychological phenomenon.
In practice, linguists rely on descriptive grammar to understand linguistic diversity and evolution, while educators and editors often use prescriptive grammar to ensure clarity and standardization. Understanding the distinction helps one appreciate that language is both a system with rules and a dynamic cultural practice that reflects the creativity and adaptability of its speakers.
(2) Linguistic Sign
The concept of the linguistic sign is one of the foundational ideas in modern linguistics, introduced by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in his posthumously published work, Course in General Linguistics (1916). This concept revolutionized the study of language by shifting attention from individual words or historical evolution to the structural relationships that form meaning within a linguistic system.
Definition of the Linguistic Sign
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– Saussure proposed that language is a system of signs, and each sign unites two inseparable components:
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Signifier (signifiant) – the sound pattern or the physical form of the word; it is what we hear, write, or pronounce.
Example: The word “tree” (the sequence of sounds /triː/ or the written form “t-r-e-e”). -
Signified (signifié) – the concept or idea that the word refers to; not the actual object, but the mental representation of “a tall plant with a trunk and leaves.”
Thus, the linguistic sign = signifier + signified.
The sign does not connect a word to an object directly but connects a sound/image to a mental concept. For example, the word “dog” is not the animal itself but a linguistic form that evokes the concept of a dog in our minds.
The Arbitrary Nature of the Sign
One of Saussure’s most revolutionary ideas is that the relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary. There is no natural, logical, or intrinsic connection between the word “tree” and the concept of a tree. Different languages use different sounds for the same concept—“tree” in English, “arbre” in French, “vriksha” in Sanskrit, and “shu” in Chinese. This demonstrates that linguistic signs are based on social convention, not inherent meaning.
Because of this arbitrariness, the meaning of signs depends entirely on social agreement within a linguistic community. The rules that connect signifiers and signifieds are established by collective usage, not by natural law.
The Linear Nature of the Signifier
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– Saussure also observed that the signifier unfolds in time—spoken language is linear, meaning that words follow one another sequentially. This linearity differentiates linguistic signs from visual signs (like traffic symbols or gestures), which can be perceived simultaneously.
The Relational Nature of Meaning
Meaning in language, according to Saussure, arises not from individual signs alone but from the relationships among signs within the linguistic system. Words have meaning because they differ from other words. For instance, the meaning of “cat” is understood through its difference from “bat,” “cap,” or “dog.” This idea—called differential meaning—emphasizes that language is a system of interrelated oppositions rather than isolated labels for objects.
Implications of the Linguistic Sign
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– Saussure’s theory shifted the study of language from historical linguistics (which focused on the evolution of words) to structural linguistics, which studies the underlying system that governs language. It also laid the foundation for later developments in semiotics, structuralism, and post-structuralism in literature, anthropology, and philosophy.
His idea influenced thinkers such as Roman Jakobson, Roland Barthes, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and Jacques Derrida, who extended the notion of the sign beyond linguistics to all systems of meaning—texts, cultural practices, myths, and symbols.
Criticisms and Later Developments
Although Saussure’s concept of the linguistic sign was groundbreaking, later theorists have challenged some of his ideas. For example, philosophers like Charles Sanders Peirce proposed a triadic model of the sign—consisting of the sign, object, and interpretant—to emphasize the process of interpretation and meaning-making. Post-structuralists argued that the relationship between signifier and signified is not fixed but constantly shifting, producing an endless play of meanings (as in Derrida’s notion of différance).
Despite these critiques, Saussure’s theory remains central to linguistic thought. It highlights that language is a social construct, governed by conventions and sustained by collective agreement among speakers.
Conclusion
IGNOU MEG 04 Solved Assignment Q1 Answer 2025-26– Both Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar and the concept of the Linguistic Sign are essential to understanding the nature of language. While the first topic contrasts the normative rules of language with its natural usage, the second explores the structural foundation of how meaning operates within any language system. Prescriptive grammar seeks order and uniformity; descriptive grammar observes diversity and change. The linguistic sign, meanwhile, reveals that meaning is not inherent but created through relationships and conventions. Together, these ideas demonstrate that language is not just a tool for communication but a living, evolving system shaped by human thought, culture, and society.
