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Does English make any sense?
Posted by Pat on May 10, 2026 in Uncategorized | ∞
(In my first incarnation in the olden days of long ago!), I found some humor in teaching recalcitrant 7th and 8th graders the “rules” of the English language. Some rules do seem to have the fun of being self-contradictory!
- Don’t use no double negatives.
- A preposition is something never to end a sentence with.
- No sentence fragments.
- Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!!
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
- Hyphenate between sy-llables and avoid un-necessary hyphens.
- Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
- One-word sentences? Eliminate.
- Don’t string too many prepositional phrases together unless you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
- Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Our language continues to change. Perhaps it’s evolving, not just degenerating?
- Maybe it’s due to texting and the resulting mangling of our old spelling skills?
- Mabe it’s due to just plain laziness?
- Or…mabe it’s just that life continues to show us new ideas and possibilities that we don’t yet have words for?
Whatever the reason, it sure is fascinating!
I just keep my mouth shut when I don’t “get” what someone’s words mean! I wait and hope that there will be some clues for me to follow and, if not, I nod my head wisely and just let them talk.
There’s so much that is new, so much that seems incomprehensible, that I don’t want to risk my ignorance showing!
I think that could be called “Wisdom Enough.”
Don’t you?
