Is English Dead?

In a tongue-in-cheek essay in The Washington Post last weekend, Gene Weingarten lamented, "Goodbye cruel words: English is dead to me."

In Weingarten's article he pointed out examples from the Washington Post and other media of mistakes in print. Some reasons he cites for the demise of the proper use of English are decreased attention to grammar, punctuation, and syntax. Unedited blogs, instant messaging, and newspapers cutting back on copy editors have also contributed to the death of the English language, according to Weingarten. Some examples he cites are humorous; others are sad.

Everyone makes mistakes when writing or speaking. I've often made mistakes posting on my blog. When I discover them I feel embarrassed and make changes right away. On some occasions, a few writing pals have e-mailed me to let me know when I've messed up--and I appreciate it when they do.

For those who care about the proper use of English, what do you think:

Is English dead? Is it on life support? How can we save it? Should we care?

Words That Go Clunk When You Write

Okay, I admit that's not the greatest title for this post, but it's Friday and my brain is tired, and it's pretty much all I got till Monday.

Here's the thing.

I've read a couple posts the last few days about grammar. One blog responded to a question about the correct use of "then" or "and then" in a compound sentence. Here's an example (but not the same sentence used on the other blog): Is it correct to write: "He went to the bank then he went to the movies."?

According to the response on the other blog, the correct use would be (using my example above): He went to the bank, and then he went to the movies.

I left a comment on the blog that while using "and then" might be correct, it sounds "clunky" to me, and I suggested rewording the sentence to something like: He went to the bank before he went to the movies. I haven't checked back yet to see what the response to my comment was.

Today I found this question/answer post on Writers' Digest about using the pronouns he or she for a non-specific gender. The post is interesting, and as I read the answer to the question, my eyes lit up at: " No. 1 on the Writer’s Digest 10 Commandments list states: 'Thou shalt avoid clunkiness at all costs.' ”

While I thought my comment about not being clunky was original, apparently Writer's Digest also advises writers to "avoid clunkiness." Is clunkiness a real word? Anyway, I agree with the sentiment. Avoid clunkiness and "things that go clunk when you write."

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Today in St. Peters, MO: Sunny, high 69 degrees. My lilac bushes are in full bloom (about this color) and smell amazing (use your imagination).

Top 100 Writing Blogs to Improve Your Writing

Today in St. Peters, MO: Rain and snow, high 40 degrees. Maybe we should send some of our snow to Vancouver for the Olympics?

If you're looking for something to do while waiting for the snow to melt, here's a suggestion. Universities and Colleges. org has published a list of 100 blogs that will help you improve your writing "by providing inspiration, motivation, creativity and new techniques from experts, freelancers, and editors from every genre."

While I've only clicked on a few of the links, I have to check out a lot more. Many of them sound interesting and some of them are downright funny. How can I resist visiting blogs called: Evil Editor, Cute Writing, Throw Grammar from the Train, Flogging the Quill, Mens with Pens, or the Grammar Cop? And who knew there is a "Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar"?

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy writing!

Donna