On the language thing...I've been an editor for years, and my pet peeve is people correcting each other's spoken grammar. Or being 'outraged' by common misuse. I used to be something of a nitpicker when it came to grammar and usage, and my ears still grate when I hear an 'over' that should be 'more than', but language evolves. The purpose of language is clear communication, not a test of someone's knowledge of the rules. So let if it's not confusing you, let it go.
(And a big sarcastic thanks to all of you who write to publications to inform them of 'the rules' when they make a mistake or let slip a typo. It's very helpful for professional editors to be reminded of the difference between 'it's' and 'its.' Just a humble request from a longtime copy editor: Please keep the smug 'gotchas' to yourself. Bask in your superiority without sharing it with us. We put a lot of words out there, and we usually get it right. We know when we made a mistake.)
Ohmyohmyohmy. My mother would plotz. Bless her, well into her 80s, she continues to correct the grammar, written and spoken, of all around her, including me. (And I don't make many such errors.) i am also compulsive about correcting errors in papers submitted by my students (a great many of whom DO NOT know the difference in usage between "its" and "it's.") (That's ',s,.,",), precisely.)
What is the role of teachers, at varying levels, to correct the written and, yes, spoken, language of their students, and to convey a sense of proper, formal usage for educated professionals?
If I still have any readers for this posting, I await your "gotchas" (or is that "gotcha"s, or "gotcha's"?). Gotcha away.
