Which statement about pronunciation is considered proper in prescriptive views on English?

Which statement about pronunciation is considered proper in prescriptive views on English?

• A. Pronunciation is of great importance; dropping the 'h' and 'g' is improper.
• B. Pronunciation is of little importance; dropping the 'h' and 'g' is standard.
• C. The dropping of letters in pronunciation is a natural change.
• D. Pronunciation should always match spelling exactly.

Answer: (A)

Prescriptive views treat pronunciation as something to be regulated, with a strong emphasis on standard forms. They hold that there is a correct way to pronounce words, taught as part of formal education and widely used in dictionaries and prestige contexts. In that stance, dropping sounds like the “h” or the “g” disrupts the standard pronunciation and is considered improper because it deviates from what is taught as proper speech. This explains why the correct statement says pronunciation is of great importance and dropping those sounds is wrong. By contrast, other views often see such changes as natural variations or don’t insist on matching pronunciation to spelling or to a fixed norm.

Prescriptive views treat pronunciation as something to be regulated, with a strong emphasis on standard forms. They hold that there is a correct way to pronounce words, taught as part of formal education and widely used in dictionaries and prestige contexts. In that stance, dropping sounds like the “h” or the “g” disrupts the standard pronunciation and is considered improper because it deviates from what is taught as proper speech. This explains why the correct statement says pronunciation is of great importance and dropping those sounds is wrong. By contrast, other views often see such changes as natural variations or don’t insist on matching pronunciation to spelling or to a fixed norm.