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How does descriptive grammar differ from prescriptive grammar?

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Ferdinand de Saussure seated in a formal pose, wearing a dark suit with a vest and sporting a thick mustache, circa 1900. — Linguistics Much of the foundation of 20th-century sociolinguistics was created by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913).

In the field of linguistics, the distinction between descriptive and prescriptive grammar centers on the objective of the analysis.1

Descriptive grammar seeks to objectively describe how a language is actually used by its speakers. Descriptivists collect and analyze samples of speech and writing to document the rules that govern the language as it exists in practice, rather than imposing external standards. This approach views language as a dynamic, evolving system.12
Prescriptive grammar focuses on establishing rules for "correct" or "proper" usage. It aims to dictate how a language ought to be used, often based on formal, literary standards or traditional conventions. Prescriptive approaches frequently categorize certain usages as incorrect or undesirable, serving a pedagogical or standardizing function.12

While prescriptive grammar has historically dominated educational settings, modern linguistics emphasizes the descriptive approach to understand the underlying structure and natural variation of human language.1