Comments on: Regarding grammarians who “misuse educated as meaning agreeing with me” http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/ Curious | Cute | Comical | Crazy Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:51:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: chamblee54 http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53039 chamblee54 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:11:13 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53039 Ignorant is another all purpose insult for those who disagree with you. Ignorant is another all purpose insult for those who disagree with you.

]]> By: Amber http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53029 Amber Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:02:58 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53029 Yeah, but that's just because word order matters in English. Descriptive grammar simply means that a sentence means what the majority of native speakers of that language agree that it means. It doesn't mean all rules are thrown out the window; it just means that the speakers of the language - as opposed to a book - make the rules. So if the MAJORITY of speakers of English would say that "I don't want it to fall in" is a sentence - regardless of it's ending with a preposition - then it's a grammatically correct sentence to a descriptive grammarian. No native speaker of English would agree that "am completely I I normal realize" is a sentence. It doesn't make sense in English (though it would in, say, Russian) because SVO is the recognized format for English sentences by speakers of the English language. Yeah, but that’s just because word order matters in English.

Descriptive grammar simply means that a sentence means what the majority of native speakers of that language agree that it means. It doesn’t mean all rules are thrown out the window; it just means that the speakers of the language – as opposed to a book – make the rules.

So if the MAJORITY of speakers of English would say that “I don’t want it to fall in” is a sentence – regardless of it’s ending with a preposition – then it’s a grammatically correct sentence to a descriptive grammarian.

No native speaker of English would agree that “am completely I I normal realize” is a sentence. It doesn’t make sense in English (though it would in, say, Russian) because SVO is the recognized format for English sentences by speakers of the English language.

]]> By: Frank Turk http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53027 Frank Turk Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:41:51 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53027 You all say thses things, but not one of you would ever proffer this: "am completely I I normal realize" And pretend that it somehow conveys meaning -- even though the sentence "I realize I am completely normal" has the same words. You all say thses things, but not one of you would ever proffer this:

“am completely I I normal realize”

And pretend that it somehow conveys meaning — even though the sentence

“I realize I am completely normal”

has the same words.

]]> By: Janice http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53026 Janice Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:41:05 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53026 Hear, hear! Language matters, ya know? You've probably seen this but just in case you haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmLE2bliXCI Hear, hear! Language matters, ya know? You’ve probably seen this but just in case you haven’t: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmLE2bliXCI

]]> By: Michael http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53024 Michael Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:19:50 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53024 Occasionally I think I'm a real "lingua-dork". Then I read this blog and those first two comments and realize I am completely normal. Thanks guys! Occasionally I think I’m a real “lingua-dork”.

Then I read this blog and those first two comments and realize I am completely normal.

Thanks guys!

]]> By: Amber http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53023 Amber Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:14:09 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53023 Do prescriptive grammarians still exist? Who DOES that? Am I right? *raises glass awkwardly while chewing the end off my Cuban cigar* Do prescriptive grammarians still exist? Who DOES that? Am I right? *raises glass awkwardly while chewing the end off my Cuban cigar*

]]> By: Andrew http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53021 Andrew Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:00:03 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53021 I fully agree with Abraham on this one and on all of the rest of the descriptive vs. prescriptive linguistic rabble rousing on this site. I tell people that I'm a linguistic relativist for fun and to play with those who equate that position with moral or epistemological relativism. I think, though, that linguistic pragmatist is probably a better description. I fully agree with Abraham on this one and on all of the rest of the descriptive vs. prescriptive linguistic rabble rousing on this site.

I tell people that I’m a linguistic relativist for fun and to play with those who equate that position with moral or epistemological relativism. I think, though, that linguistic pragmatist is probably a better description.

]]> By: Josh S http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/26/regarding-grammarians-who-%e2%80%9cmisuse-educated-as-meaning-agreeing-with-me%e2%80%9d/#comment-53018 Josh S Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:31:10 +0000 http://twentytwowords.com/?p=5903#comment-53018 Relativist! (Yeah, that was a compliment.) Relativist!

(Yeah, that was a compliment.)

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