Thursday, March 1, 2012
What to do with “Grammar Purists”
A bona fide anarchist would probably round them up and shoot them. But I’m a GRAMMAR anarchist. To those who rail loudly about the “rules that must be obeyed”, I can ask only one thing: where are they? Naysayers keep telling me about the “rules” they learned in the deep dark past, as if they were blessed with secrets still hidden from the world’s leading linguists. In the U.S., we use a multi-language, a stew of speech habits and words from around the world. So how is it possible to have one-size-fits-all “rules” to guide writers? Arise, Writers of the World! Bring Your Style Manual and follow me to the next rally! Banish the rule-sayers! Hoohah!
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4 comments:
Banish rules? We'd become uncivilized. Don't you believe in law and order?
Of course I believe in law and order. But you need stick-um "rules", not the kinds that offer exceptions. “Sure, steal your neighbor’s pet... if it barks -- this once.” "It stands to reason that you can exceed the speed limit when you’re in a hurry.”
No, Betts, real rules do NOT have exceptions -- and grammar “rules” do! I rest my case.
Then why did I spend all those hours in GRAMMAR SCHOOL learning all those rules??????? Answer that!
You were a kid. Kids need "rules". Now you're grownup (I assume) and you can set your own guidelines. You have a bunch to choose from.
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