by Sandy FerrellHave you been writing and decided you weren’t quite sure about some of your grammar? Grammar rules are endless, but some make sense and others can, quite frankly, be ignored. Take a look at two ‘fake rules’ from an article by Ellen Jovin. She is the author of Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian. Fake Rule #2. Don’t use “that” with people. Here’s an example. In The Great Gatsby, “Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.” For F. Scott Fitzgerald’s sentence from The Great Gatsby, which of these versions do you prefer?
Fake Rule #3. If you see two “that”s in a row, remove one. Moby Dick, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Great Expectations, and oodles of other influential and widely read works all contain multiple examples of “that that.” I value word-cutting undertakings, but sometimes people go way overboard with their “that” excisions. “Conciseness!” they cry, as they hack another hardworking, unassuming four-letter word from the sentence it is helping hold up. The word “that” serves multiple grammatical functions in English, and removing one can sometimes create a momentary misreading. Consider this sentence: I can’t tell that that writer is terrified of public speaking. If I remove one “that,” my sentence begins like this: I can’t tell that writer... What comes next? I can’t tell that writer a thing? I can’t tell that writer my darkest secrets? I can’t tell that writer my Social Security number? Keeping both “that”s in this sentence prevents brain blips. It is very, very common to think we use language differently than we do. Because we are human beings and not computer databases, we can’t reliably store all our word encounters and experiences in our memories. It is important to remain open to the influences of beautiful literature you read throughout your life. Those grammar doors are meant to stay wide open, not locked shut with rusty deadbolts. Please note that in the previous paragraph, I did two things people have reported to me over the years that I am definitely never supposed to do: I used “than” with a form of “different,” and I began a sentence with “because.” Is this life on the grammar edge? Not at all. It’s just about the facts—about language as it is actually used, not as we imagine it. Beautiful literary writing is varied and creative, and it is there that I try to learn about the aesthetic potential of English—the breathtaking possibilities of grammar rather than the limitations people often imagine are imposed by it. People may think, Oh, what’s the cost of following a few questionable rules in order to be safe? Well, there is always a cost when we reject the evidence of our senses in favor of superstition. Sophisticated grammar is about expanding your understanding of language, not stapling yourself to outdated rules that you may or may not be remembering correctly from Ms. Fitzgibbon’s seventh-grade English class. So, to conclude, I agree with Ms. Jovin. Rules can exist, but in some instances your personal use of grammar is just that — ‘personal’. I believe that rules were made to be broken. I just write the way I do and don’t necessarily consider grammar rules as I go along. I guess in my opinion, that’s what your editor (or in my case, friends) are for.
Kathy Wolfe
8/3/2023 10:31:11 am
Good article on the use of the word that. Guess that clears up that gray area in our writing!!! Something I will have to practice more and not always cross out while editing.
Darlene
8/6/2023 06:57:15 pm
I’m always needing help with grammar. Very clever and well written. Thanks! Comments are closed.
|
Archives
March 2024
Categories |