Comments on: Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences by Janis Bell

By: PI

PI — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:35:17 +0000

I’m very much like you – poor grammar makes my skin crawl. I also didn’t learn the rules – I just know that it isn’t right, even if I can’t tell you why.

An office mate and I had that comma discussion a while back. We looked in some older grammar guides and realized that thinking on this point has changed over time. Personally I’m a fan of the new way as I think it makes lots of sense.

This sounds like a great book!

By: Rose City Reader

Rose City Reader — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:29:59 +0000

This one is going on my Christmas wish list. I am right there with you. In fact, I am the official grammar Nazi at my firm and get to take new law clerks to task and train them.

(But I think you meant “badly” in that third sentence. )

By: TC

TC — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:37:00 +0000

Whoops. That should read “…more euphonic to say ‘fewer’”. One-thousand apologies.

By: TC

TC — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:48:44 +0000

Descriptive linguistics: learn to love it. No matter what most people will tell you, it’s perfectly grammatical to say “less items”, even if it is more euphonic. It’s also good-times for all split infinitives, phrase-ending prepositions, and using “which” in relative clauses. All the other pet peeves that pedantic prescriptivists pine over endlessly: forget those, too.

Grammar rules are, essentially, the observable habits of expert users of a given language. Churchill split infinitives, Twain used “which” instead of that, and plenty of people don’t use “fewer” the way you want them to. Take a deep breath. There’s nothing wrong with them.

By: Timmy

Timmy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:16:48 +0000

I am tuned in to grammar mistakes too – I just hear them and I can’t stop that – only I don’t correct people; I just let it go. But inside I’m often saying to myself something like “You were looking for a past participle there” or “nominative, verb, accusative, please”.

By: Teacher's Pet

Teacher's Pet — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:55:36 +0000

You are a terrible grammar Nazi! You must have left Nazi grammar school early to search for the Ark of the Covenant like Indiana Jones did. I can’t believe your Nazi grammar friends still associate with you!

By: Heather J.

Heather J. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:23:29 +0000

I’m very much like you – poor grammar makes my skin crawl. I also didn’t learn the rules – I just know that it isn’t right, even if I can’t tell you why.

This sounds like a great book!