Category Archives: polls and surveys

What do you think about van?

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

This is Cassandra Nijon’s first blog post. It is actually her second, but I’m still in the process of editing the earlier one, so have a little patience! This one jumps the queue because she’d like to have your feedback. … Continue reading →

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What is English Grammar?

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

And this is Kate Taylor’s second blog post. Help her collect data by filling in her brief survey below! There are many different attitudes with regard to grammar; some people are born to learn grammar, some people work to achieve … Continue reading →

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What makes a usage guide? 

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Robin Straaijer

During the construction of the HUGE database, I have been thinking about the genre of usage guides a lot for the simple, practical purpose of determining which titles would be put in the database, and which would not. Edmund Weiner asked … Continue reading →

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Yagoda’s Language Madness

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Carmen Ebner

March Madness describes a very American phenomenon: the NCAA college basketball tournament. In this tournament college teams compete against each other and by winning move on to the next round. This process is often visualised in so-called brackets, which apparently … Continue reading →

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“Could care less” or “couldn’t care less”

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Morana Lukač

“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” are Rhett Butler’s famous last words to Scarlett O’Hara. Could you imagine a modern remake of Gone with the Wind in which Rhett would rather say “Frankly my dear, I could care … Continue reading →

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Appropriate Usage – You decide!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Carmen Ebner

The moment of truth has come. It is time to find out what YOU think about the English language and its usage? Is it fit as a fiddle? Or is it going down the drain? What do you consider acceptable and appropriate … Continue reading →

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Something must have went on

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Viktorija Kostadinova

The first time I read about have went as a usage problem was in the context of what 18th century prescriptivists wrote about it: Robert Lowth and Noah Webster, two 18th (and, in the case of Webster, 19th) century grammarians, both … Continue reading →

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Attitudes to usage: a thought experiment

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Robin Straaijer

Imagine you’re sitting at a big table as part of a large group of people. It could be a cafe, it could be a restaurant, it could be a meeting at work. Some of the people at the table are … Continue reading →

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Who’s to blame for literacy levels in England and Northern Ireland

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Morana Lukač

Although each new generation always seems to be worse than the previous one from time immemorial, those criticizing the young kids of today finally have some evidence to support their claims. The newest OECD Survey of Adult Skills shows disappointing results … Continue reading →

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Favourite language blogs (results)

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Robin Straaijer

The what-are-your-favourite-language-blogs poll posted in June is now closed. Surprisingly, a little more than half of the answers were given as write-ins in the option ‘other’. Here are the results. First, a thank-you to those who voted for this blog, we’re very … Continue reading →

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