Tag Archives: errors

Can you correct someone without being a language bully?

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Robin Straaijer

Over the past two weeks, the linguistic blogosphere has exploded over ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s latest musical parody Word Crimes. Linguists, editors and others were blogging at break-neck speed to discuss the judgements expressed in the song. On this blog, Viktorija … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged correcting, errors, Grammar Monkeys, grammar nazis, identity, language bullies, politeness, Word Crimes | 9 Comments

The Alphabet of Errors: L, M & N

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Inge Otto

Have you told people a 1000 times not to use lie for lay? Are those people, after all your well-meant though prescriptive advice, still lost as to when to use the one and when the other? Do they forget your … Continue reading →

Posted in usage features | Tagged can/may, double negation, errors, HUGE, lie/lay, rhyme, Richardson, school, The English Journal, usage guides, usage problem | 1 Comment

Beaumont’s Better English Campaign

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Inge Otto

In The English Journal of November 1927, George Norvell reported that the teachers of Beaumont Senior High School were so tired of their students’ nonchalant disregard for rules of correct English which they had learned “dozens and perhaps hundreds of … Continue reading →

Posted in usage features | Tagged bad speech, better english campaign, correct English, correctness in language, education, errors, high school, prescriptivism, slang, usage | Leave a comment

Linguistic errors and the Renaissance

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Ingrid Tieken

The linguistic error was invented during the Renaissance. This will be one of the topics of a paper by the Dutch linguist Joop van der Horst on Saturday, at a public symposium organised by the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics. … Continue reading →