Here is my blabber in comments:
I'd like to do everything right with language. But I feel I just have so much brain space and it's shrinking as I get older. I hang on to what I have picked up when I was younger and do my best. It's less than grammatically correct, I'm sure I make regular grammar and punctuation mistakes. My spelling is pretty good though.
Maybe we can add one more language fact a month and remember it. I do know about farther and further, kind of the same rule as less and fewer.
However, when I say "George has less/ fewer friends..." in my mind that doesn't sound right either way. Would it be better as "George doesn't have as many friends as..."? See how complicated it gets? :D
I'm still working on affect and effect, have been working on that one awhile, months and months. Maybe we do have too many words to keep track of? If the communication is understood the goal is accomplished. I'm in the middle of the issue as I do like to keep old traditions, makes me sad to see things slip away. Also, language should have some standards. If things slip too far will we eventually just go back to grunting back and forth at each other?
2 comments:
Laura,
You are so right. Whenever there is a rule, there is always an exception. Well, at least we are discussing it which is more than some do. Thanks for visiting and mentioning my blog!
Ahhh - one my favourite topics :)
On your comment - Also, language should have some standards. If things slip too far will we eventually just go back to grunting back and forth at each other? - it's an interesting thought but it's a lot more likely that language will continue to evolve. Just look at English now with comparison to Victorian (Shakespearean) English - imagine how incomprehensible modern English would be to the victorians! It's easy to be critical of the new variants of English - txtspeak chief amongst them - but I think that it's going to evolve (slowly but surely) into a new version despite our willingness to hang on to our 'rules'.
Personally, and like you say earlier, communication is key. If your audience understand what you're trying to say, then you've said it the best way.
There's heaps more on the evolution of language over on my blog
L
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