One of the earliest grammars was William Bullokar's Pamphlet for Grammar (1586)

Nearly thirty grammars were published in the following 150 years

The grammarians' focus was mainly on the way the language was actually used by educated people

In the eighteenth century grammar was considered to be the most powerful means of drawing attention to the importance of linguistic standards

The half-century between 1750 and 1800 saw more English grammars published than in the whole of the previous two centuries

A new attitude towards grammar emerged: the prescriptive or normative approach