Grammar: descriptivist vs prescriptivists

Question

I wonder why Indian English teachers scorn English-learning students saying GONNA and WANNA while speaking. To be explicit, I know that I must not write the mentioned contracted phrases in exams ( in written English).

My question to all of you is the following: should I use GONNA and WANNA while speaking?

Some people call these contracted phrases informal. That being said, I don't think they are as language changes in keeping with how it's spoken in contemporary generation. What I mean by that is I have seen and talked to a lot of highly educated English speakers talking to me as my English teachers. Besides, they all were using GONNA and WANNA.

I conjecture if one is to find truely formal English, one might watch BBC WORLD NEWS. Nonetheless, they also use GONNA and WANNA , although they never use AIN'T.

What am I to do ?

I don't advocate prescriptivists and never will. I wanna know what the right thing is. Personally, neither do I prefer to say GOING TO and WANT TO nor do I prefer to write since I find these phrases anachronistic. Please undeceive me if I am wrong. Plus, I don't intend to be arrogant at all throughout the question.

Any answer will be enormously appreciated.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

"Gonna" and "wanna" are unremarkable in casual speech. It is not a matter of evolution of language. They have been used in lazy speech all along. I say them that way all the time. Two things, though. First, they are not words. They are lazy speech, not that there is anything wrong with that, but they are not words. They have no place in written language outside of dialogue as a representation of a person's voice. Your "I wanna know what the right thing is" gives the impression that you are careless or illiterate or fancy youself some sort of rad dude. What's next? "Gimme"? "Jeet jet"? "idk"? Second, "going to" and "want to" are not outmoded. They are the way you write those things, and people say them that way pretty often. I know I do.

I don't think the BBC uses those "words" very much, but I could be wrong. I will have to listen closely the next time I hear them.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

jayprakash SinghI wonder why Indian English teachers scorn English-learning students saying GONNA and WANNA while speaking. To be explicit, I know that I must not write the mentioned contracted phrases in exams ( in written English).

As you said, do not use words like "gonna" and "wanna" in formal written essays. Write the words as "going to" and "want to." English teachers may stress the formal pronunciation in speaking so that the students will not write these words as they are spoken in a test or academic essay.

There are relevant contexts for these in the written word. They have been used in "eye dialect" novels for more than a hundred years. They are also used in comic strips and advertising posters.

https://www.thoughtco.com/eye-dialect-spelling-term-1690700

jayprakash Singh

My question to all of you is the following: should I use GONNA and WANNA while speaking?

Sure, if you are talking with friends and don't want to sound like a prig. Speak in the same register as they speak.

jayprakash SinghNonetheless, they also use GONNA and WANNA , although they never use AIN'T.

Gonna and wanna are spoken equivalents of standard English in a medium or low register. If your setting requires the highest register (e.g. you have an audience with the Queen), then you might take more care in formal pronunciation.

"Ain't" is definitely a dialect, not standard English. You can read about dialects here:

https://www.thoughtco.com/language-variety-sociolinguistics-1691100

Comment:

Indian English is a unique dialect. It uses a vocabulary and style that was used by the British authorities perhaps a hundred years ago. It is quite distinctive and to me, seems "frozen" in time. I have heard that there are schools in India that work on people's accents and speech patterns to train them in the language of contemporary American or British speakers.

Although British English and American English are considered the two mainstream versions, each of them has their own regional dialects.

Grammar: descriptivist vs prescriptivists

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