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Subject:Re: Is Grammer Important? From:"Anderson, Ben" <BAnderson -at- GFBANK -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 21 May 1998 14:53:02 -0500
Gee, I guess all the grammar I need to know I could learn from those
frozen caveman lawyer bits on Saturday Night Live...
..."me frighten big silver bird in sky"...
>----------
>From: Lisa Higgins[SMTP:lisarea -at- LUCENT -dot- COM]
>Sent: Thursday, May 21, 1998 8:09 AM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: Re: Is Grammer Important?
>
>> The authors go on to discuss the importance of following the rules of
>> grammar and how accurate information cannot be written without using
>> grammar. So yes, grammar is important and, I would say, required.
>
>Speaker will are you if 'grammar' in no a readability of human
>native any difference language make!
>
>Prescriptive grammar (usage) today is one of the silliest and most
>inaccurate subjects taught in school.
>
>How many parts of speech do they say there are? Seven or something?
>
>They tell that funny, funny story about Winston Churchill saying
>"That is a bunch of ridiculous pendantry up with with I will not
>put" because, you know, it's illegal to end a sentence in a ... a
>... a ... verb particle.
>
>They tell us not to split infinitives. Because they don't want people
>to manipufreakin'late the English language like that!
>
>The state of English 'grammar' taught in schools is roughly
>equivalent to a Geography teacher claiming that the world ends
>a couple of miles out to sea. What continually amazes me is how
>rabidly some will cling to the lies and inaccuracies they learned as
>children.
>
>For this reason ALONE, it may be helpful to scrupulously avoid
>putting words in between a verb and the word 'to.' Only because some
>ninny out there will bleat self-righteously if you don't.
>
>All that is really important is that you communicate what you need
>to communicate with as few distractions as possible. You must develop
>an ear for what is comfortable. You must write to suit your audience.
>And you must ignore any weird external influences that might cause
>you to lose sight of your real purpose.
>
>Here be monsters,
>Lisa.
>lisarea -at- lucent -dot- com
>
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