American Elites Batter the English Language

Human Events ^ | 02/23/2007 | Deroy Murdock

[rhema]

Do kids still have to learn how to diagram sentences? I bet not. That was one of my favorites from the old schooldays.

If their teachers are using programs like the Burnette Daily Grammar Practice, they do.

[barkeep]

"You might want to concentrate your criticism on clerks who refer to a 'pant'".

Reminds me of a comic bit by Gallagher, I think; "Why do we have A bra, but a pair of pants?" Same bit with "Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?"

At least the pants have legitimate history. At one time the lower male body was clothed with two separate leggings with a codpiece, or merkin, where the modern zipper is.

[Carolinamom]

You're (NOT "your"...lol) doing fine, baubau!

I rather like one form of the interrogative used as an exclamatory declarative though: Who knew?!

[Dianna]

The article mentions that Australia is to be blamed for it, but who is to be blamed for the diffusion here in the States? When did exactly this form of speech take root here in America? I don't remember hearing it, say, 30-35 years ago.

California valley girls, back in the 80s.

[baubau]

"How are we to explain the "smartest woman in the world's" repetitious use of "you know"?

"QUESTION: Is the appostophe denoting the possessive form in "world's" in the correct position?

The apostrophe is correct in that it denotes possession. I would, however, hyphenate the "smartest woman in the world's" to read, smartest-woman-in-the-world's.

[stripes1776]

rhema: You're right, and if I remember my high-school grammar instruction correctly, both constructions that follow the transitive verb needs are direct objects, so the infinitive phrase to be washed and the gerund washing both have noun functions in each sentence.

IronJack: Both are objects of the verb "needs," and therefore, need to be nouns or noun forms. Youre memorree iz korekt.

The American Heritage Dictionary says that the verb "need" can be transitive or intransitive. In the first case, "The laundry needs to be washed" would be an example of "need" in the intransitive sense. The infinitive is not a noun phrase. In the other case, "The laundry needs washing" shows "need" in the transitive sense. The gerund is functioning as a noun.

[Carolinamom]

From your wide reading, you've most likely developed an 'ear' for the smooth flow of your sentences. Placing modifiers (words or phrases) near the words modified and using transitional words or phrases help to make what you write 'flow'.

Rewriting is necessary to eliminate wordiness. Reducing a sentence to a verbal phrase is one method of eliminating useless wordage and tightening up your writing. Another practice is to use strong active-voiced verbs, which put 'muscle' into your writing. Interesting and variety of vocabulary is also a must in good writing....and simply by reading widely, one absorbs vocabualry...osmotically, IMO...LOL

[gcruse]

" "Why do we have A bra, but a pair of pants?""

Indeed, because when you cut fifty bras in half,
you have a hundred beanies with chin straps.

[Jimmy Valentine]

I do so detest the use of words like "elites" to describe people like John Kerry, Bill Clinton et. al. There is nothing elite about them. "Elitist" yes indeed, but not elite.

Sorry. It seems a small thing but it does chafe!

[keats5]

That's definitely my pet peeve.

[gcruse]

"Another practice is to use strong active-voiced verbs, which put 'muscle' into your writing. "

Yes. I eschew adverbs as much as possible for that reason. If I need an adverb, it means the verb is not strong enough.

[Xenalyte]

For some reason, marketing people aren't sure what verb people use to get around this here Interweb thingy. They seem to omit the verb completely - "call us at 800-CARPETS or on the Web at carpets.com".

Another favorite is to leave out the dot after www, but put it in before the suffix - "www-carpets-dot-com." If I had lots of spare time, I'd call these companies and harass them about how wwwcarpets.com doesn't get me to their site.

And I have one sentence construction I defy anyone to diagram: the "just because / doesn't mean" one. "Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean I'm stupid" is not diagrammable and therefore is not a legitimate sentence.

[Xenalyte]

I think "irregardless" was spawned in the same litter as "anyways." Ugh.

[baubau]

"I rather like one form of the interrogative used as an exclamatory declarative though: Who knew?!

If an answer is not expected.

It's easy to affect such a form in written communication, but a little harder to do it verbally? The only way I can think of is by a longer-sounding "knew," which would indicate that the question is rethorical and no response is needed.

[ReignOfError]

"Free Republic posters' idea of a good candidate is ..."

[baubau]

Thanks.

[rhema]

The American Heritage Dictionary says that the verb "need" can be transitive or intransitive. In the first case, "The laundry needs to be washed" would be an example of "need" in the intransitive sense. The infinitive is not a noun phrase. In the other case, "The laundry needs washing" shows "need" in the transitive sense. The gerund is functioning as a noun.

Since a direct object is "a word or group of words that receives the action of an action verb" and "answers the question whom? or what?," it seems to me that both the infinitive phrase (infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs) and the gerund (which is always a noun) fit the description of what the laundry needs. In each case, the laundry needs something.

But. . . I've been wrong more times than I can count, in which case I'll accept an explanation of the function performed by the phrase to be washed.

[Carolinamom]

I cringe when I see a store's sign advertising "Two pair for $1.00".

Notice also that in the above sentence I put the period after the quotation mark since the quotation is only a part of the whole sentence and comes at the end. That is a rule of punctuation infrequently, but correctly, used.

[LexBaird]

We are the only state where the highways are called "freeways," too, aren't we?

A highway is a major, high speed road, usually between municipalities. It may be divided or not, but has direct cross intersections and occasional stops. A freeway is a divided roadway with no stoplights or stop signs, and with limited access through merging exits and entrance ramps. It is called a freeway to distiguish it from a toll road, or tollway, with similar access.

[Xenalyte]

"How are we to explain the "smartest woman in the world's" repetitious use of "you know"?

The apostrophe indicates possession - in this case, "Hillary's use" - so it needs to go on the noun referring to the possessor, which would NOT be "world." It would be "woman."

That is really awkward, so I'd recast the question as:

How are we to explain the repetitive use of "you know" by the "smartest woman in the world"?

Or perhaps, since I am an inveterate smartass:

How are we to explain the repetitive use of "you know" by the alleged Smartest Woman in the World?