Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on March 2, 2013 at 3:09am

Joan, people in writing groups have said I'm a grammar nazi. And so...

"she is as bad as I" Try "Don't mess with either of us."

When a caller asks for Tom, I respond "You're talking to him."

It feels kind of good to pick nits at 82. Would you believe I ignore a few nits?

Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on March 2, 2013 at 12:19pm

Joan, I will happily answer grammar/usage questions for all A/N folks.

Traditionally, "as I" is correct, assuming an omitted am.  But this rule (of truncated sentences, i.e., "as bad as I am") conflicts with cases where pronoun is required after preposition, e.g., "bigger than me."  So the two variants become stylistically differentiated - I is formal, me is colloquial.  Neither is wrong, except to the grammar freak who wants to play gotcha games.

To be correct all the time, simply avoid the troublesome choice, and say it some other way, as with "speaking."

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on March 7, 2013 at 7:44pm

Alan, you've probably seen Fowler's sermon on the placement of "only".

I scanned his book for equivalent sermons on other words but found none.

He had an issue with that word's placement that caused him to lose his objectivity.

In an old Chicago Manual of Style I saw mention of "a few rules" on a topic. About sixty rules followed.

Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on March 7, 2013 at 10:41pm

Tom...I have watched self-appointed grammarians try to oppose language change for 50 years, and they have been doing it for many more than that. 

Haven't seen Fowler's apoplexy about only.  I can say only [note correct positon] that I have watched this adverb shift to the front of the sentence where it makes no logical sense.  I even marked it on students' papers but eventually gave up.  Apparently putting the only upfront emphasizes the reasonableness of the request/statement.  Just a guess.  I see examples almost every day.  Only is upfront and not going back.

I never lose my objectivity ;) , but I continue to be curious about I could care less.  Don't you mean you couldn't care less?  Also consider I can't seem to.... It's not that you are unable to seem, whatever that means.  The idiom means 'seemingly can't.'

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on March 24, 2013 at 12:28pm

Natalie A Sera, I don't see where I thanked you for your comments and correction. I do appreciate your help.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on March 24, 2013 at 12:38pm

Black narratives, written in their style of speech, have a rhythm to them I enjoy. That said, I like this string about grammar and punctuation. It awakens an awareness in me that I have some work to do. Sorry I didn't listen more attentively when Miss Rousseau was so strict in elementary school. She rapped my knuckles a time or two. 

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on March 25, 2013 at 1:58pm

Here's Ogden Nash, with some playful, nonstandard text that would sail right through a spelling checker.

The Panther

The panther is like a leopard,
Except it hasn't been peppered.
Should you behold a panther crouch,
Prepare to say Ouch.
Better yet, if called by a panther,
Don't anther.

Permalink Reply by Gwaithmir on March 27, 2013 at 7:37am

I don't mind when people here misspell an occasional word. What gets my goat is the use of netspeak in the forums or chatroom.

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