18.270 complain about (bad) grammar!

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 270.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

   [1] From: "Ken Cousins" <kcousins_at_gvpt.umd.edu> (28)
         Subject: Re: 18.266 complaints about grammar

   [2] From: Norman Hinton <hinton_at_springnet1.com> (9)
         Subject: Re: 18.266 complaints about grammar worth the candle?

--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 07:20:09 +0100
         From: "Ken Cousins" <kcousins_at_gvpt.umd.edu>
         Subject: Re: 18.266 complaints about grammar

YES.

While some grammatical choice is a matter of style, failing to apply
any standards at all degrades the quality of discourse. If we don't take
the care to communicate effectively, to use accurate and appropriate
vocabulary, we are easily diverted from the true issues at hand.

Or, as my undergraduate mentor used to say, "writing clearly is
thinking clearly."

Regards,

Ken Cousins
Harrison Program on the Future Global Agenda
Department of Government and Politics
3114 P Tydings Hall
University of Maryland, College Park
T: (301) 405-6862
C: (301) 758-4490
F: (301) 314-9690
kcousins_at_gvpt.umd.edu

"The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
         Albert Einstein

>>> "Humanist Discussion Group Vol. 18, No. 266.
From: "Jim Marchand" <marchand_at_uiuc.edu>

I have just been reviewing (looking at) a scholarly book, mainly
translations. It has such items as: He had him hung. I know this is
bad grammar, at least from the perspective of the old days. The author
seems to have the same point of view, since he says elsewhere He had him
hanged. Just between you and I, am I being too finicky (or is that
finicking?) when I complain about such things? Is it worth a line?

--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 07:20:53 +0100
         From: Norman Hinton <hinton_at_springnet1.com>
         Subject: Re: 18.266 complaints about grammar worth the candle?

Jim, I agree with you -- more importantly, so does the AHD -- here is their
"Usage note" for the entry 'hang (v.)' --

> Hanged, as a past tense and a past participle of hang, is used in
> the
sense of "to put to death by hanging," as in Frontier courts hanged many a
prisoner after a summary trial. A majority of the Usage Panel objects to hung
used in this sense

I'd say it's worth dropping a line to the author, especially since his(?)
own usage seems to vary.
Received on Thu Oct 07 2004 - 02:41:39 EDT