And the point of language, and grammar, is to clearly communicate. A principle of Transactional Analysis is, "What I heard is what you said." This means, of course, that no matter what you think you actually said, what I thought you said is what was communicated. That is why a correct use of the language is important.
I enjoyed the excange.
I basically write for a living. I am somewhat of a fanatic when it comes to grammar and writing. That being said some grammar rules are cast in cement, while others are cast in quicksand. I run my letters and briefs through a spell checker and grammar checker and often I find myself in violent disagreement with my computer about its idea of correct grammar. For instance, my computer does not recognize the correct form of usage for "advice and advise" and always recommends the wrong one. I don't know how to teach it. It seems to be an unteachable student.
I enjoyed the excange.
I'm also a fanatic about spelling. But we'll let that one pass. ;-)