Showing posts with label Talk of the Nation April 16 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Talk of the Nation April 16 2009. Show all posts

16 April 2009

"A Half-Century of 'Stupid Grammar Advice'"

UPDATE: Pullum provides (a whole lot) more here. To be honest, I am insufficiently suited to appraise it all.
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I was just sending an email to the grammarians in my life when I figured, what the hell, why not share with everyone?


[Dear Friends,]

Heard this on NPR today and thought of all of you grammarians in my life. Really an interesting look at the evolution--and convolution--of modern grammar rules. At 17 minutes you'll need more time than your average YouTube clip but less time than a bad sitcom to hear the interview in total. General verdict? Strunk and White were very good on style, but mangled the patterns of usage, absolutely. (Listen for a defense of the split infinitive!)

Hope all the writers, editors, and teachers out there are still as engaged as ever with the mechanics of our language.