English Usage

1
Assessment Day 2001
English Usage or Abusage
2
Grammar and Usage

• Grammar and usage overlap and are mutually
  dependent, but they do not mean exactly the same
  thing.
• Grammar is concerned with the structure of the
  language, the way it works, and it remains
  constant over long periods.
• Usage is a matter of language etiquette, of
  conventional requirements, of a prescribed or
  accepted code and is constantly changing.

Harry Shaw
Errors in English and Ways to Correct Them
3
Are we living in a

• grammatically challenged society?

Whom?
Who?
Between you and me
Between you and I
4
Influences on writing

• Technology
• On-line grammar tools
• Software wizards

• Political correctness
• Media

5
What is correct?

• . . . correct English is that which is spoken
  and written by the majority of reasonably
  educated American people.

Sterling A. Leonard Author of Current English
Usage
6
Better Middle-Class English?

• Better middle-class English well teach in our
  schools,
• And correct composition well leave to the fools
• Who are picayune, narrow, and nasty enough
• To insist that their pupils must master such
  stuff.

• Time, November 1995

7
How should we write?

• Do we want to sound like an expert, lecturing the
  uninformed?
• One can appreciate the health benefits of high
  school
• athletics for the players and the entertainment
  value
• for the fans.
• Or like an acquaintance, informally discussing
  thoughts and opinions?
• I think high school athletics can be healthful
  for the
• players and enjoyable for the fans.

Elizabeth McMahan and Robert Funk Heres How to
Write Well
8
What is appropriate language?

• Use formal language when you want to downplay
  your personal involvement and emphasize the
  factual content of your writing.
• Use an informal tone when you want your readers
  to know something about your personal feelings or
  attitudes.

Elizabeth McMahan and Robert Funk Heres How to
Write Well
9
What rules should we enforce?

• Formal Writing
• Write in third person
• Avoid addressing the
• audience directly as you
• Use no contractions
• Use no slang
• Use no sentence fragments
• Avoid ending sentences
• with prepositions

• Informal Writing
• Write in first person
• May address the audience as
• you
•  May use contractions
•  Use slang only if its
• appropriate for audience
•  Use occasional fragment for
• stylistic effect

Elizabeth McMahan and Robert Funk Heres How to
Write Well
10
Are these really Non-Errors?
None of the students (is,/are) What were
you thinking of?

• Usages people keep telling you are wrong but
  which are actually standard in English.
• Split-infinitives
• Ending a sentence with a preposition
• Beginning a sentence with a conjunction
• Over versus more than
• None singular versus plural

Harry Shaw
Errors in English and Ways to Correct Them
11
What Can English Instructors Do?

• If correct English is that which is spoken and
  written by the majority of reasonably educated
  American people . . .
• If the majority of people write as they speak . .
  .
• If language is influenced by media and technology
  . . .
• If students ignore formal writing rules . . .

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What Can English Instructors Do?
No fragments!

• Should we continue to enforce formal writing
  rules?
• Are there certain rules that may be considered
  non-errors?
• What is appropriate and what is inappropriate?
• Can the English department come to consensus?

No contractions!
Third person.
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