Sandy-Cosgrove

I am from the “old school,” in more ways than one, but especially when it comes to the use of good grammar.  Once upon a time, long ago, grammar was taught with great care. Understanding and using grammar properly were hallmarks of literacy, and, dare I say it, intelligence. Although it seems to have become a lost art, there are faint glimmers of hope on the educational horizon where grammar is concerned.  My wish is that those glimmers gain strength and become beacons of light and enlightenment.

Our children have been raised on a steady diet of email and chat room shorthand.  They know what all of the letter combinations or acronyms mean, but I need a code book to decipher their messages, many of which are better left unread.  Society ignores or accepts grammar goofs that would have been frowned upon, instantly corrected or a cause for derision 20 years ago. that less than twenty years ago would have been frowned upon, instantly corrected or a cause for derision. For example, good is no longer an adjective and conversations similar to the following are commonplace:

 “How are you doing?”  Response:  “Good.” 

 “How did you do on your exam?”  Response:  “I did good.”

  “How was the party?”  Response: “It was so fun!”

  “They rung the bell.”

  “Wazzup?”  Response:  “I just wondered if she brang the CD’s.”

   “My mother could’ve drove us to the game.”

   “Someone left their books on the bus.”

   “The group of people that most influenced…”

These and many, many others like them send shivers down my tortured spine.  I am so compulsive that I find my self circling the errors on wedding programs and advertising copy. Do you think there is hope? 

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