Readers respond to column on grammar

Written by Ellen Berveridge
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 09:54

I never know what columns that I write will evoke a response from readers. My recent column, “Examples of use and misuse of English language,” is a case in point.

More e-mails were generated by that column than any other I have written. Most were complimentary, which I greatly appreciated, some wrote about their grammar concerns and others raised questions.

I tried my best to answer the questions, but I reminded the writers that, as I noted in my column, I did not profess to be an expert on grammar.

As space limits using the e-mails in their entirety, I would like to share parts of them as follows:

The first e-mail, from Trumbull Times subscriber Martin Arnold, was sent the day after the column appeared.

“I enjoyed your article on grammar miscues,” Martin wrote. Then he continued with his pet peeve... “the use of the word ‘reverend’ as a noun. It is an adjective. The Reverend so-in-so, not so-in-so is a Reverend.”

Paul DeCava wrote: “Keep up the good work, this country needs all the help it can get.” Paul questioned the wording of “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He felt that this was incorrect and believed it should be “in the wrong place at the right time.” Then he asked, “What are your feelings about this?”

I had never given this phrase much thought, so I resorted to “Google.” There I found “the wrong place at the wrong time” listed, so that was my best response to Paul.

Tina Fraughton wrote, “I enjoyed your article today about grammatical pet peeves. I, too, have my own, but I do my best to be tolerant when I hear them, as I’m sure I goof myself. I did not know about the difference between the superlative and comparative [which was the main focus of my column]. Thank you for giving me an excuse to think today!”

“Just a note to tell you that I enjoyed reading your article in the local newspaper,” wrote Herb Galewitz. “Correct English, both written and spoken, are in a woeful state, and there is no cure in sight. Grammatical errors in books are almost commonplace, even with major publishers.”

Heike Hasselt thanked me, “for your observations. I enjoyed reading your article. It was right up my alley. I cringe when I hear someone tell me: ‘I should have went.’ Interesting to read about superlative and comparative. I learned something.”

Two responders asked not to be identified. A woman, who read my column in the Milford Mirror, a sister newspaper to the Times, wrote, “Hurray! At last someone has printed a column about the misuse of the English language.” She cited, “Me and my brother” and “Her and I went to the concert” as such blatant misuses that when she hears them it is like “fingernails on a chalkboard,” to her.

A man from Trumbull wrote about the misuse of the words “infer vs. imply,” then went on to ask, “Is there a difference in the use of the words “someone/somebody, no one/nobody, anyone/anybody?”

Again I fell back on the fact that I am not a grammar expert, but answered that according to the dictionary “maybe” was used with the alternate “perhaps,” and “anyone” with the alternate “anybody.”

I found Marvin Collier’s e-mail one of the most interesting, so I will make an exception and quote it in its entirety.

“I have had a gripe about the misuse of the word ‘healthy’ for many years now and at last have the opportunity to unload my frustration.

“Though it was 71 years ago when I was in the seventh grade (yes, I am nearly 84), I remember my teacher, Miss Dugan, making the following statement: ‘Children, I don’t ever want to hear you make the statement, I ate a healthy breakfast. Why you ask? Because if your breakfast were healthy, that would mean your breakfast were alive! The proper statement would be I ate a healthful breakfast.’

“Several years ago,” Marvin continued, “When good health and good diets suddenly became very popular we were bombarded with commercials using Hollywood personalities as spoke-persons, urging us to eat some ‘healthy’ food or other. Now we see it in print, on the TV and hear it on the radio constantly referring to food, diet, exercise, lifestyles...whatever.

“There, I feel better now! If you have read this far, thank-you for your attention.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to Marvin, but before I did, as luck would have it, he sent another e-mail and answered his own question.

“Glory be!” Marvin wrote, “St. Raphael’s [hospital] Better Health magazine, page 15, quote, ‘For anyone interested in more healthful eating...’ “Maybe there is hope yet!”

I am most grateful to all of you for taking the time to write and for your interest in the grammar column.

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