See this poll on: https://poll.fm/7944233/embed
Give others the chance to vote.
Share this poll, because the more votes the better.
Create your own.
Opinions! We all have them. Find out what people really think with polls and surveys from Crowdsignal.
closed
Dear Nutty Professor
Ever heard of a writer named NESFIELD. He was a teacher of the English language.
You are not a teacher of the English language, only a teacher of YOUR OWN CREATION.
That is AMERICAN! American is not English! AMericans always want to change what others create. Make your own but don't call it English.
Sentences do not end with prepositions (Churchill was a buffoon- He was winning the war with the Mosquito and chose to scrap its use or reduce it to perilous levels- best plane ever);
Stop messing with the English language.
Here are some pointers:
"This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put." could be written "THIS IS PEDANTRY WHICH I WILL NOT TOLERATE.
Those who understand the English language are familiar with its NUANCES not merely it mechanics and know how to use it.
"But I would come back to where it pleases me to live..." could be written " (BUT) "OUCH" I would sometimes return TO where it pleases me to live OR " I will return to where it pleases me to live" Hemmingway was not an authority on the English language and your appeal to his AUTHORITY is disingenuous.
LIKE must never be used to mean "SUCH AS". That is an American corruption and definitely poor use of the language.
I would think very poorly of anyone who tries to present himself with those terms as being rather unlearned.
Enuff.
Clive Ocnacuwenga
Mr. Yagoda, even an expert needs an editor. In your March 14 article in slate, you goofed on subject/verb agreement: "the meaning of words inevitably and perennially change." That is most likely to happen, I find, when there is a lot of real estate between the subject and its verb. Keep those articles coming, especially if you support my view that 'gift' is a noun and 'give' is a verb; 'loan' is a noun and 'lend' is a verb; people who say that something was 'so fun' sound ... pubescent.
Dear Professor Yadoga,
I have a question: why not use an adverb instead of an adjective to modify a verb - even in the infinitive form?
While lecturing us all on the use of grammar, how about, Professor Yadoga tries to use grammar correctly in the title of a book about grammar?
May I suggest a modified title for your next book:
""How Not To Write Badly: ....." ?
I realize that Americans use the word "ironic" to describe sarcasm, happenstance and so on. Are you attempting to show an example of supreme irony in your book title to demonstrate the concept of irony?
However, there are still plenty of legitimate rules that you should be aware of. Please rewrite this sentence in order to make it conform to proper English. Of which I am aware. Eliminate the word of pleaswe.