9:05 p.m. - 27 March 2003
G is for Grammar
G is for Grammar
I am unabashedly a grammar snob. I don't apologize for it, and I don't think anyone else should either. If you ask me, there aren't enough grammar snobs in the world.
I don't remember learning how to read. As far as I know, I've always been able to. And as soon as I could pick up a book on my own, I picked up three or four at a time and read them consecutively. I was the only person I knew who regularly checked out at least six to ten books at a time and read them all before they were due. Other than filling my head with all sorts of useless information, the other thing all those books taught me was how grammar should work.
My formal education in grammar is extremely limited. I had a couple of blitz sessions in high school when a couple of my English teachers realized we didn't know what direct objects were, but none of them ever lasted for more than a few weeks. I learned far more about English grammar in my language courses than I ever did in English, frankly. Converse had a Winter Term course on Modern English Grammar, but it was only offered every other year and didn't fit into my schedule either time I was there.
But even without knowing exactly why something is wrong or right, I can tell when it sounds or looks wrong. And on the SAT or any other standardized test, that's all that matters. It's even more important when proofreading, which is one of the things I do very well, I must admit.
I understand why some of the netspeak has developed, I do. That doesn't mean I have to like it, because I don't. It drives me absolutely batshit. I break the rules of grammar because I have a strong underlying knowledge of how they work. Kids playing with AOL typing "d00d! a/s/l??" do not, and given the state of education today, likely never will.
Sars has written an excellent article that expresses much of what I'm trying to say much better than I am. So go read her, and take the time to proofread.
This has been an entry for AlphaBytes. I'm working my way through the alphabet backwards just because I can.
