It may surprise you to know that an old dinosaur like me occasionally uses facebook. I admit I only signed up, initially, so I could play scrabble. It seems to me that the majority of what my friends post can fit into one of the following categories:
Here's the latest development in #5: 12 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Who Writes About Grammar Mistakes Makes
Yes, are always mistakes to be made. In fact, #1 on their list points out that people are not often clear on the meaning of the word. But what I like most about this list over others is that it addresses the fact that language (and its rules) are not set in stone. Things change. And most importantly the rules of grammar are not there so one person can lord their knowledge over another. They exist to make communication easier and more effective. A great example is the word forte, meaning area of strength or specialty. Technically, as a word derived from French, it should be pronounced "fort." However, since the gross majority of English speakers pronounce it "fore-tay," if you told someone "My fort is building forts," they might be a bit confused.
If your adherence to the rules makes you incomprehensible, I would say those rules have failed you. As Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Pictures of dogs, cats, babies, or some combination of the three.
- Acting as if minor inconveniences are actually world-shattering disasters along the lines of ebola-infected zombies wearing white shoes after labor day.
- Responses to the latest episode of some TV show, complete with spoilers.
- People sharing something George Takei already posted
- Links to articles about "common grammar mistakes
Here's the latest development in #5: 12 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Who Writes About Grammar Mistakes Makes
Yes, are always mistakes to be made. In fact, #1 on their list points out that people are not often clear on the meaning of the word. But what I like most about this list over others is that it addresses the fact that language (and its rules) are not set in stone. Things change. And most importantly the rules of grammar are not there so one person can lord their knowledge over another. They exist to make communication easier and more effective. A great example is the word forte, meaning area of strength or specialty. Technically, as a word derived from French, it should be pronounced "fort." However, since the gross majority of English speakers pronounce it "fore-tay," if you told someone "My fort is building forts," they might be a bit confused.
If your adherence to the rules makes you incomprehensible, I would say those rules have failed you. As Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
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