tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159158.post7655210761543753923..comments2024-02-25T20:07:56.114-06:00Comments on Mr. Verb: Grammar rules you can forget ... if you knew themMr. Verbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04048931596146402872noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159158.post-74985661353308245232013-10-05T14:12:52.114-05:002013-10-05T14:12:52.114-05:00I noticed the "Five things people should worr...I noticed the "Five things people should worry about more" section after posting. Again, as with the other section, the ones worth paying attention to, I don't need to. And with lay/lie thinking about it doesn't help. I'm much better at using them correctly than at consciously thinking about what's correct.Ellen K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159158.post-43402099979555081982013-10-05T14:02:45.300-05:002013-10-05T14:02:45.300-05:00I've heard of all but 3. I don't give thou...I've heard of all but 3. I don't give thought to any of them when writing. The ones that are perhaps worth paying attention to as a stylistic/register choice I don't have any need to think about. I won't be slipping in any double negatives where I shouldn't.Ellen K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159158.post-65874549731514869372013-10-04T11:21:34.093-05:002013-10-04T11:21:34.093-05:00Yeah, I thought about writing a screed about the s...Yeah, I thought about writing a screed about the second set but decided prepping my classes was a better use of time! Thanks.Mr. Verbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04048931596146402872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159158.post-23596888537290143472013-10-04T11:20:30.706-05:002013-10-04T11:20:30.706-05:00It's interesting (and frankly somewhat bafflin...It's interesting (and frankly somewhat baffling) when people debunk some tired old rules and then champion others. What makes an invented and supposedly important rule like the <i>that/which</i> distinction different from an invented and unimportant one like the split infinitive ban? Why let go of double negatives, even though they're still very much nonstandard in modern English?<br /><br />For the record, I'm familiar with all those rules, but I only take a few seriously and a few more semi-seriously.Jonathon Owenhttp://www.arrantpedantry.comnoreply@blogger.com