[Magdalen] "Formal Speech"

[Ann Markle]

It must be that I'm in a different universe.  There are grammatical rules,
yes.  But it has been acceptable to end sentences with prepositions for
DECADES.  Where have some been during those decades?  Evidently not reading
nor writing, nor communicating with 20th and 21st Century grammarians.
Nobody uses "whom" anymore.  That's not about sloppiness, it's about
evolution (slower, but inevitable).  I am not an English class dropout, but
someone who keeps up on the (current, late 20th Century) formal rules of
usage.  Stay current, or accept one's status as a dinosaur!  Sorry, and no
disrespect meant to my (not so very, but also not very current) elders!

Ann

The Rev. Ann Markle
Buffalo, NY
ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
blog:  www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com

On Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 10:17 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
>
> I read some information recently that excused all the grammatical
> sloppiness
> in the USA as being "informal" speech, and what is traditionally  correct
> is casually dismissed as "formal speech."
>
> So that's what it's all about!
>
> The use of adjectives as adverbs, the routine ending of sentences  with
> prepositions, the splitting of infinitives, and the total abandonment  of
> "whom", etc., etc., are just all "formal" and the grammatical  sloppiness
> is really where the action is and named "informal" speech.
>
> I don't buy it for a minute.  This is propagated by English class
> dropouts,
> who are getting even for the heavy-handed use of the red pencils on
> their essays.
>
> If they can't get it right, anything goes.
>
>
>
> David Strang.
>
>
>