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ERIC Number: EJ1456629
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1554-8244
Good Writing and Good English: The Shared English of Writing Studies, Prescriptivism, and the History of the English Language
Don Chapman
Across the Disciplines, v21 n2-3 p122-139 2024
Prescriptive discourse, which favors certain variants over others, like "different from" vs. "different than," has usually been characterized in terms of correctness in spelling, punctuation, word meaning, or grammar. Yet usage guides in the 20th century have added numerous entries that focus more on style considerations than correctness, such as claims that neither new-fangled nor old-fashioned words should be used, that euphemisms and clichés should be avoided, or that pretentious or pompous variants should not be used. The style claims go so far as to condemn entire registers, like journalism, business writing, and government writing. The style that serves as a model for such prescriptive advice is typical of the style prized in 20th-century writing instruction. The Good English (i.e. "correct English") popularly thought to be the basis of prescriptive rules in the 20th century was apparently supplemented by Good Writing typically taught in English departments. This same kind of Good Writing was also an important factor in defining the kind of English to be taught in typical history of the English language classes. By the end of the 20th century, the idealized English language serving as the basis of writing instruction and the history of the English language had expanded considerably from the Good Writing typical of English departments. The Good English serving as the basis of prescriptive advice seems to be following suit.
WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Tel: 970-491-3132; Web site: http://wac.colostate.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A