| Feature | Spoken | Written |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Spontaneous, repairable ("I mean…", "sorry, let me rephrase") | Planned, revised, permanent |
| Completeness | Fragments, ellipsis ("Coming?" "Yeah.") | Full sentences required |
| Support | Gestures, tone, facial expression, shared situation | Words and punctuation alone must carry meaning |
| Vocabulary | Phrasal verbs, fillers ("well", "you know"), slang | Formal, Latinate vocabulary |
| Recording | Usually transient (unless recorded as evidence) | Permanent record — is evidence |
Descriptive grammar studies how people actually use language; prescriptive grammar prescribes how it should be used in standard contexts. Legal drafting is strongly prescriptive — Standard English, the register of statutes and judgments.