Language prescriptivism : attitudes to usage vs. actual language use in American English

Abstract

This thesis explores the influence of prescriptivism on

language use in American English. It does so by studying the relationship

between language advice literature, patterns of language use, and speakers’

attitudes. The thesis shows that the genre of usage guides, routinely associated with prescriptivism, is undergoing change to reflect processes of change in progress in American English. Furthermore, prescriptivism and language use are shown to mutually influence each other.