The judgment that a particular use of language is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is…
2026
The judgment that a particular use of language is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is generally:
Answer: B. Determined by social and contextual norms — CONCEPTIn sociolinguistics, language is a social practice. Judgments about acceptable usage depend on the conventions of a speech community, the audience, the…
- A.
Fixed and universally applicable
- B.
Determined by social and contextual norms
- C.
Independent of usage and context
- D.
Completely defined by grammar books
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
CONCEPT
In sociolinguistics, language is a social practice. Judgments about acceptable usage depend on the conventions of a speech community, the audience, the purpose, and the situation; they are not timeless properties of forms in isolation.
APPLICATION
The stem asks what generally governs judgments of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ usage. Because those judgments vary with community and context, the best description is that they are determined by social and contextual norms.
CONTRAST
Fixed and universally applicable: assumes one standard works unchanged everywhere.
Independent of usage and context: removes the social conditions in which meaning and acceptability are judged.
Completely defined by grammar books: treats codified prescriptions as exhaustive, although actual conventions also arise through use.
RESULT
Therefore, the appropriate answer is “Determined by social and contextual norms.”