Top 10 Obsolete Grammar Rules - by Guest Blogger Steven Sawyer

Top 10 Obsolete Grammar Rules - by Guest Blogger Steven Sawyer Article by Steven Sawyer. Edited by Brenda Bernstein, The Essay Expert Following The Essay Expert’s post about using the â€Å"singular they,† some writers in one of my LinkedIn groups were talking about breaking English grammar rules. Several of us spent a few hours discussing the merits, or de-merits, of using â€Å"they† as a singular pronoun. We were essentially divided into two camps:   purists, who would never break a time-honored English grammar rule, and progressives, who know all the rules – and delight in breaking them.   By the end of the heated discussion, purists were still purists and progressives remained progressive. Purists love the predictability of our language and the grammar rules that govern it. They still remember how to diagram a sentence.   They can spot a dangling modifier at 50 yards and pick out a subject-verb agreement error faster than you can say â€Å"comma splice.† If you went to their houses you might find that they iron their underwear and alphabetize the canned foods in their pantry. (I know a couple of purists who do that.) Progressives, on the other hand, believe that breaking rules connects writers with the masses, who stopped thinking about grammar rules decades ago. (If you dont believe me just ask any passerby to locate the verb in a sentence.) Just last year, a group of Ivy League English language purists lobbied to have â€Å"Thou shalt not break English grammar rules† added as the 11th commandment. But language mavens, dictionary writers and even influential linguists are relaxing many writing standards. Some experts are equating this usage shift to the Great Vowel Shift that took place in England in the 15th century. So, my Purist grammar friends, what will you do? Will you suck it up and go with the changes in the language as they evolve?   Or are you determined to maintain pristine prose? Its really okay if purists remain purists. I believe theyll dwindle over time until they become an extinct species, but they do have their place in our culture today. Purists, heres what youre going to have to swallow if you want to keep pace with our ever changing language. Top 10 Obsolete Or Seldom Enforced Grammar Rules Don’t split infinitives. Who would want to shamelessly do that anyway? Active voice verbs are preferable to passive voice verbs. I will never part with this one. I have  encrypted  this rule in my memory’s hard drive. Passive voice will forever be stricken from my writing. That makes me a purist for this rule only. Never start a sentence with â€Å"And† or â€Å"But.† And why not? It gets easier every time you do it. See 5th paragraph, second sentence. Never start a sentence with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† There are many occasions when starting a sentence with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are† is perfectly acceptable. Boring, perhaps, but acceptable. E.g., There is more Canadian bacon in the United States than in Canada. It would be difficult to change the wording in that sentence without starting with â€Å"There is†. Never end a sentence with a preposition. Now that’s a rule we can all live without. Always use â€Å"more than† instead of â€Å"over† with numbers. Okay. Whatever. Math’s not my gig. But truly, either one is acceptable use today. So, purists, get over it. Data is plural, so the verb must always be plural. So data is what data does? Or data are what data do? If they say so. Anyone with a good ear for English knows the answer to this one. Don’t start a sentence with â€Å"This.† The grammar gurus now say that you can start a sentence with â€Å"This.†Ã‚   But (Ooops, there I go, breaking rule 3. See how easy that was?)   I believe that [practice] is okay and this [guideline] is perfectly acceptable. Don’t use â€Å"free† as an adjective.   E.g., â€Å"Can I get that laptop free?†Ã‚   Nay, nay, writing comrades. That’s purist speak. Feel free to use â€Å"for free.† E.g., â€Å"Can I get that laptop for free?† Don’t use â€Å"fun† as an adjective.   You purists make me giddy.   You’ve always used â€Å"fun† as a noun.   E.g., â€Å"We had fun at the game today.† But we progressives like to use it as an adjective. â€Å"It was a fun weekend reunion with my family.† English is an evolving language. A new word gets added to the language every 98 minutes, according to the Global Language Monitor. That’s 14.7 words per day.   As words get added, usage rules undergo changes as well. Will you adopt the new â€Å"rules† of grammar? Your answer determines which camp you’re in. Steven Sawyer is a blogger, author, editor and online English teacher and writing consultant.   Read his blog at https://stevensawyer.wordpress.com/. Category:Grammar Writing TipsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 15, 2011 14 Comments Penelope J. says: May 18, 2011 at 4:28 pm The above post on progressives vs. purists was both fun and enlightening. I agree that in some cases, we have to be open to change rather than stick to the more correct language usage. I agree with the above comment. Using Where you at? and got instead of have (or in many cases, buy) have become widely acceptable, but I cringe every time I hear them uttered. Things like/such as What you got? really get (to) me. Anyway, what does get to me actually mean? Also, using a word to express the opposite feeling, You kill me or Thats a killer has become the norm rather than the exception and is taken to excruciating heights on programs that my grandchildren watch such as American Idol. But the English language is evolving and devolving to such an extent that, at 14.7 new words a day, purists must be having a hard time making or expecting others to stick to the rules. However, is it too much to ask that some rules not be broken such as misuse of verb tense and pronouns? Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: May 31, 2011 at 11:45 am Penelope, Im so glad you mentioned Where you at! When living in Brooklyn, if I were asking for directions on the street I would always say Do you know where such-and-such street is at? Im also guilty of using got instead of have. Its funny the things that still bug me, vs. the things Ive adopted. Im sure these things differ for each of us. Fun as an adjective still grates on my nerves. And I dont think its too much to ask to keep some rules in place but whos to decide which ones? I certainly have my opinions! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: May 31, 2011 at 12:00 pm Thanks Lynn. We all have our own pet peeves dont we? Mine are different from yours! (And lets not even start on different from/different than.) I have articles on its/its and lose/loose which I invite you to read and share! https://theessayexpert.com/blog/2011/05/31/the-day-my-dad-didnt-make-it-home-from-work-by-marianne-worley-business-writing-consultant-at-the-essay-expert/ and https://theessayexpert.com/blog/2009/09/13/common-spelling-mistakes-lose-vs-loose/ respectively. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: June 13, 2011 at 3:57 pm Thanks for your comment Rick. I agree! Log in to Reply Marion Suarez says: June 3, 2012 at 1:29 pm I feel as though proper usage of fewer/ less is almost entirely obsolete. I cant find anyone who still understands the distinction or honors it. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: June 3, 2012 at 3:34 pm Thanks for your comment Marion. Its funny, I see 10 Items or Fewer now in many grocery stores, and I almost want them to change it back to the wrong way! Log in to Reply Mary Kent says: August 30, 2016 at 12:25 am Should we follow the rules regarding using the possessive form of nouns and pronouns with gerunds or is it a truly lost cause? Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: September 2, 2016 at 10:20 pm Great question Mary! Ive been fighting for this one since I learned the rule at the age of eight. Im terrified by the number of times people correct me on this point when I am using correct grammar! Log in to Reply John T Mon says: August 7, 2017 at 11:02 pm Im mid-60s and I always wonder what happened to the use of A and An? Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: August 8, 2017 at 6:55 am Do mean in spoken speech, John? It does seem like a lot of people say a when an would be grammatically correct. Log in to Reply Rebecca says: June 4, 2018 at 11:43 am I’m not a pure purist! Quirky, and especially regional, â€Å"impurities† make such entertaining conversation and writing. Still, why has the subjective compound pronoun become so accepted when used in the objective case? In speaking, I realize we all get tripped up, but I’ve seen it in writing and heard it from journalists. Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: June 4, 2018 at 1:15 pm I’m right there with you, Becky. Drives me up a wall and the correct grammar seems so logical. Thanks for your comment! Log in to Reply Susan says: June 29, 2019 at 6:50 am The increased misuse of I and me when referring to another person and oneself is my beef. I am now hearing even professional speakers such as news announcers, pastors, etc. making statements such as, The taxi picked up my friend and I. In fact, I came across this article when again doing a search to see if this rule has changed. Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: June 29, 2019 at 10:05 am Im with you, Susan. What did you find? Anyone saying the rule has changed? I think its more that very few people understand correct usage. Log in to Reply

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox Known for: known for her plotting on behalf of Roman Catholicism in England.  Ã‚  She was the  grandmother of James VI of Scotland who became James I of England, and the mother of James father, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley.. Margaret Douglas was the niece of Tudor King Henry VIII and granddaughter of Henry VII. Dates: October 8, 1515 - March 7, 1578 Heritage Margaret Douglas  mother was Margaret Tudor, daughter of Englands King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Margaret Tudor, named for her paternal grandmother,  Margaret Beaufort, was the widow of James IV of Scotland. Margaret Douglas father was Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus; the marriage of Margaret Tudor and Archibald Douglas in 1514, at first secret, was the second for each, and alienated many of the other Scottish nobles and threatened her supervision of her two sons by James IV, James V (1512-1542) and Alexander (1514-1515). Margaret Douglas, the only child of her mothers second marriage, was brought up with and was a lifelong friend to King Henry VIIIs daughter by Catherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, later Englands Queen Mary I. Scandalous Relations Margaret Douglas became engaged to Thomas Howard while she was a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, the second queen of Margarets uncle Henry VIII. Howard was sent to the Tower of London in 1537 for their unauthorized relationship, as Margaret was at that time next in line of succession, Henry VIII having declared illegitimate his daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Love poems she wrote to Thomas Howard were preserved in the Devonshire MS, now in the British Library. Margaret had reconciled with her uncle by 1539, when he asked her to greet his new bride Anne of Cleves on her arrival in England. In 1540, Margaret had an affair with Charles Howard, nephew of Thomas Howard and brother of Catherine Howard, the fifth queen of Henry VIII. But again Henry VIII reconciled with his niece, and Margaret was a witness to his sixth and final marriage, to Catherine Parr, who had known Margaret for many years. Marriage In 1544, Margaret Douglas married Matthew Stewart, the 4th Earl of Lennox, who was living in England. Their elder son, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, in 1565 married Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V, Margaret Douglas half-brother. The Stewart (Stuart) name for a later line of kings of England and Scotland comes from Margaret Douglas second husband through the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lord Darnley. Plotting Against Elizabeth After Marys death and the succession of Protestant Queen Elizabeth I in 1558, Margaret Douglas retired to Yorkshire, where she became involved with Roman Catholic plotting. In 1566 Elizabeth had Lady Lennox sent to the Tower. Margaret Douglas was released after her son, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1567. In 1570-71, Matthew Stewart, Margarets husband, became Regent in Scotland; he was assassinated in 1571. Margaret was again imprisoned in 1574 when her younger son Charles married without royal permission; she was pardoned in 1577 after he died. She briefly helped care for the daughter of Charles, Arbella Stuart. Death and Legacy Margaret Douglas died only a year after she was released. Queen Elizabeth I gave her a large funeral. Her effigy lies in Westminster Abbey, where her son Charles is also buried. The grandson of Margaret Douglas, James, who was the son of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, and of Mary, Queen of Scots, became King James VI of Scotland and, at the death of Elizabeth I, was crowned King James I of England. He was the first Stewart king.