A prescriptive text aims to regulate or guide behavior, such as the instructions a doctor writes regarding how to take a medication.
Prescriptive is something that is responsible for prescribing . This verb refers to regulating, establishing or formulating something . The prescriptive, therefore, is that which determines a prescription (the effect of prescribing).
Prescriptive language , in this sense, is that which is used to tell an interlocutor what they should do. Texts that are written with this type of language are also known as prescriptive and include instructions or regulations that someone must follow.
An example of prescriptive text is the following: “Tenants are informed that they must respect rest hours (from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and keep the common spaces of the building clean.”
Types of prescriptive text
A prescriptive text contains a message whose emission has the objective of guiding or regulating the behavior of its recipients in certain situations, and can be classified into two well-defined types:
* normative texts : they consist of rules or orders that seek to ensure the regulation of the reader's behavior. Some common examples are traffic regulations, the rules of a game, and signs indicating prohibitions in public spaces (such as a park) or private spaces (such as commercial stores);
* instructional texts : these are a series of instructions that are intended to guide the recipient in carrying out a certain task. It is common to find them in instruction manuals for electronic devices and cooking recipes, for example.
A detailed example of an instruction , in this case for the use of a safe, may be as follows: “To use the safe, choose a four-digit numeric code and enter it into the control panel. Then press the green button, repeat the key and press the green button again. In this way, the key will remain active and will be required every time you want to open the box.”
A prescriptive message may include an order.
Precise language
For a prescriptive text to be effective, its writing must contain simple, clear and precise language. Among the most common elements of its content are verbal forms in imperative ( " Select the second option" ), and infinitive ( " Shake before use" ), as well as passive constructions with se ( "First of all , They wash the vegetables .
Known as a prescriptive approach to language , on the other hand, the teaching of language is based on patterns that must be respected to avoid making mistakes. The intent of this approach is to eliminate the use of improper forms and promote the adoption of appropriate patterns.
The prescriptive code
In the field of construction , the regulation or code that requires the use of specific solutions (indicated in its own content) for compliance is known as a prescriptive code . This concept is considered an obsolete approach since it creates a barrier that prevents innovation and the use of new techniques, even if they are known to offer better results than those indicated in the code.
At the other end of the prescriptive code is the performance -based code, since its objective is that the final result meets certain conditions of quality or functionality, regardless of the techniques that have been used during the construction process. Among the most common examples of prescriptive code are the Technological Standards , the UNE Standards and the Basic Building Standards , while the best-known performance-based codes include the Eurocodes and the Technical Building Code .
A term that establishes limits
A prescriptive period , finally, is a temporary period that limits the development of a certain action.
If the prescriptive period to apply for a moratorium is August 25 to 30 , those who intend to do so after the deadline will not be accepted.