Prescriptive versus descriptive grammars
Not the conflict it is presented as
A "prescriptive" grammar is pedagogical, intended for teaching and learning "correct" versus "incorrect" usage of a language at a basic or elementary level.
A "descriptive" grammar is more advanced, intended for academics, linguists and professionals in sales and politics etc. Style and usage are assessed impartially with respect to common expressions and their most likely effect on the intended audience of the writing or speech.
Grevisse, prescritivist?
From the FAQ Prescriptif ou descriptif ? C’est au goût de chacun. Certains préfèrent citer le Dictionnaire de l’Académie et Grevisse, d’autres le Trésor de la langue française et Google Ngrams.
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Gilles ‘SO nous est hostile’