Good English, Bad Grammar

Good English and Bad Grammar

Two countries separated by the same language: that was how I thought about moving to the USA as a born and bred Brit.

I already knew that a boot and a bumper on a car are a trunk and a fender. I knew that an entrée was not in fact a starter as the name might suggest. I knew that many spellings were different such as colour and color or gaol and jail.

I discovered that my spell check on Microsoft Word gives me a horrible red underline for many plurals such as: Curriculum and curricula, premium and premia, datum and data although to be honest that might just be a function of my age!

I even knew that some of the grammar was different; I take things where you might bring them and whilst I change ‘ice’ in nouns to ‘ise’ in verb, you do not. Americans are far more straightforward by sticking to ice – with one odd exception: Why do you change advice to advise but no other ice nouns?

The unfortunate thing that binds us together is the increasing and ever annoying poor use of language. This is universal on both sides of the Atlantic. Is it just me who is constantly annoyed by the inability of so many people to add a simple ‘ly’ to the end of an adverb? Do we really save that much time by saying ‘I did it quick’ or ‘think different’ rather than thinking correctly or, indeed differently.

I know some people would argue that it is merely a modern use of the language, and that in trying to be interesting and engaging to young people, correct grammar is ipso facto boring.

Maybe I am being a bit too traditional, but I firmly believe that as educators we have a duty to teach our students to use language correctly. Part of being well educated requires the good use of language to articulate our ideas well. Indeed, Superior communication skills distinguish the highly educated. As Aristophanes put it “High thoughts must have high language’

My last gripe for today centers (or centres) around the abstract addition of redundant words in sentences. I cannot help think how powerful Martin Luther King’s speech might have been:

I, er, like, have a dream!

Andrew Derry