A recent Yahoo article suggests that social networking heavyhitter Facebook has decided to confront the problem of gender in the third-person singular pronoun in English.

For centuries English permitted the use of “their” for the indefinite 3rd person singular. Not until the late 1700s and early 1800s did the practice come under attack, and while it has diminished substantially among educated writers, it’s still in use.

Throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, the rule was to use “he” when a writer meant “he or she.” Feminists in the 70s, however, pointed out that the pronoun was not as inclusive as male writers wanted to believe. One female writer suggested that we just use “she” instead of “he” and have everyone understand that it included men. That made the point for the last of the confused males, but it left us with only two choices: the very awkward he/she or switching the noun to plural, making their grammatically correct. Neither works all the time.

Facebook needs the singular for sentences such as “Aidan just updated his blog.” As the company expands and deals with other languages, it needs (they need?) to have the grammar right.

Special thanks to Scott for this one!

The next time students ask why they have to learn grammar and sentence structure, let them read a few of these:

• The burglar was about 30 years old, white, 5′ 10″, with wavy hair weighing about 150 pounds.
• The family lawyer will read the will tomorrow at the residence of Mr. Hannon, who died June 19 to accommodate his relatives.
• Mrs. Shirley Baxter, who went deer hunting with her husband, is very proud that she was able to shoot a fine buck as well as her husband.
• Organ donations from the living reached a record high last year, outnumbering donors who are dead for the first time.
• The dog was hungry and made the mistake of nipping a 2-year-old that was trying to force feed it in his ear.
• We spent most of our time sitting on the back porch watching the cows playing Scrabble and reading.
• Hunting can also be dangerous, as in the case of pygmies hunting elephants armed only with spears.

(Special thanks to Pastor Tim for these!)

Knock, knock!

Who’s there?

Direct object!

Direct object WHO?

No, no, it’s direct object WHOM.

Non-Errors
(Those usages people keep telling you are wrong but which are actually standard in English.)

Split infinitives
For the hyper-critical, “to boldly go where no man has gone before” should be “to go boldly. . . .” It is good to be aware that inserting one or more words between “to” and a verb is not strictly speaking an error, and is often more expressive and graceful than moving the intervening words elsewhere; but so many people are offended by split infinitives that it is better to avoid them except when the alternatives sound strained and awkward.

Ending a sentence with a preposition
A fine example of an artificial “rule” which ignores standard usage. The famous witticism usually attributed to Winston Churchill makes the point well: “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.” See The American Heritage Book of English Usage.

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction
It offends those who wish to confine English usage in a logical straitjacket that writers often begin sentences with “and” or “but.” True, one should be aware that many such sentences would be improved by becoming clauses in compound sentences; but there are many effective and traditional uses for beginning sentences thus. One example is the reply to a previous assertion in a dialogue: “But, my dear Watson, the criminal obviously wore expensive boots or he would not have taken such pains to scrape them clean.” Make it a rule to consider whether your conjunction would repose more naturally within the previous sentence or would lose in useful emphasis by being demoted from its position at the head of a new sentence.

Using “between” for only two, “among” for more
The “-tween” in “between” is clearly linked to the number two; but, as the Oxford English Dictionary notes, “In all senses, between has, from its earliest appearance, been extended to more than two.” We’re talking about Anglo-Saxon here—early. Pedants have labored to enforce “among” when there are three or more objects under discussion, but largely in vain. Even the pickiest speaker does not naturally say, “A treaty has been negotiated among England, France, and Germany.”

Hopefully
This word has meant “it is to be hoped” for a very long time, and those who insist it can only mean “in a hopeful fashion” display more hopefulness than realism.

The complete list of non-errors

Special thanks to Sue at the NetGold list!

Minnesota Public Radio announces Grammar Grater, a weekly podcast about English words, grammar and usage for the Information age.

Written and hosted by Luke Taylor, Grammar Grater takes a traditionally stodgy subject and transforms it through the magic of radio. The podcast features three- to five-minute episodes with topics ranging from word usage to punctuation to spelling. A written episode format accompanies an audio feature complete with sound effects, wry humor and dramatizations from the Grammatis Personae Players.

“With Grammar Grater, we acknowledge that language is constantly evolving,” said Taylor. “The goal is to activate discussion, not necessarily to be heavy-handed. We as staff have healthy debates on grammar all the time and find that there isn’t necessarily a single correct answer for all the rules in the English language, particularly as we look beyond borders and consider how the world is getting smaller.”

The Grammar Grater Web site links to a discussion group on Gather.com, which enables listeners a chance to weigh in and suggest topics for future episodes.

Users can listen to, download or subscribe to the Grammar Grater podcast for free by visiting www.mpr.org and clicking on the Programs menu. Episodes are also available via Apple’s iTunes.

One of my e-mail inboxes has 43 pieces of e-mail with titles written to a specific format:

You’ve received a (form of communication) from a (relationship).

Here are some examples:

• You’ve received an eCard from a Friend!
• You’ve received a postcard from a Classmate!
• You’ve received a greeting card from a neighbor! (sometimes neighbour)
• You’ve received a post card from a Partner!
• You’ve received a greeting card from a colleague!

By now anyone who has had an e-mail account longer than 2 weeks recognizes that this is spam with an attached virus, suitable only for deleting.

I can’t help thinking, though, that the spammers might have had more success if they’d appealed to motivation other than friendship. Here are some spam titles I might actually have clicked on:

• You’ve received a refund from the IRS!
• You’ve received a contract from a publisher!
• You’ve received a major discount from Amazon.com!
• Youve received an apology from the guy who dumped you in college!
• You’ve received an explanation from your mother, who said you would understand when you were older!

There must be more … what would YOU have clicked on?

I never met Dr. Charles Darling, but I always liked him. He put together one of the finest grammar websites I’ve ever seen, The Guide to Grammar and Writing.

I discovered his site several years ago when I tutored students in English at the AOL Academic Assistance Center. We often referred students to this site when they needed one more explanation of a grammatical concept or if they needed more practice. This site is rich with explanations and self-checking quizzes. I started using it in my own classroom and recommended it to colleagues.

A site this extensive (check out the index) can only be the product of a person who is completely dedicated to helping people who are trying to improve their writing. Hosted by the Capital Community College of Hartford, Connecticut, the site never had any advertising, even though it would have used more bandwidth in one evening that many sites use all week. Dr. Darling provided all these resources free of charge.

Unlike many Web ventures, the site has been updated and expanded over the years. Even after I stopped tutoring online, I’d visit the site occasionally to see the new developments. At one point an announcement asked for patience as Dr. Darling was recovering from surgery. During my last visit, a new page announced his passing.

His site wasn’t just about basic writing skills — it was a demonstration of what happens when someone shares their passion with others. With his death some of that passion, some generosity and caring have gone out of the world. It remains for us to continue that spirit.

Rest in peace, Charles Darling. And thank you.

On July 30, 1954, Elvis Presley made his debut as a performer promoting his single, “That’s All Right, Mama.” He introduced a new style of music sometimes called “rockabilly.” His stage gyrations caused parents to worry about his impact on the youth of America. But never mind the hips — let’s talk about his lyrics. The man was the despair of English teachers everywhere:

“Heartbreak Hotel”
…
Well, the bellhops’ tears keep flowin’
And the desk clerk’s dressed in black.
Well, they been so long on Lonely Street
They ain’t never comin’ back.

“Love Me Tender”
Love me tender, love me sweet
Never let me go …

“Hound Dog”
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
cryin all the time,
You ain’t nothing but a hound dog
cryin all the time.
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
and you ain’t no friend of mine.

“Teddy Bear”
…
I don’t wanna be a tiger
‘Cause tigers play too rough.
I don’t wanna be a lion
‘Cause lions ain’t the kind
you love enough.

English teachers might have cringed at that language in the Fifties, but it seems tame today. I wonder what they’ll be singing 50 years from now?

You’ve heard of podcasts, you know what they are, but have you actually LISTENED to one yet? If not, it’s time to start; and there’s no better starting point for an English teacher than Grammar Girl.

Go on, go to the site and click on “listen now.” I’ll wait.

Wasn’t that good? Short, sweet, and to the point.

Grammar Girl, a.k.a. Mignon Fogarty, started podcasting in July 2006, and her audience developed quickly. Her background as a technical writer prepared her to explain the nuances of the subjunctive mood or the question of hanged vs. hung in clear, common-sense terms. The podcast was so successful that she quit her day job. In a March interview Fogarty said, “This was my hobby when I started. I thought maybe a few people would be interested. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it would become as popular as it has.”

Grammar Girl is a great resource for English teachers experiencing a moment of doubt (what IS that rule about which vs. that?). It might also be a good backup for the student who needs just one more explanation of a concept. A Grammar Girl-style podcast might also serve as a way for students to demonstrate their learning at the end of a writing unit.

Grammar Girl also serves as a reminder that what we do really counts for something. People DO notice lapses in style, and people DO want their writing to be correct. Never mind what your fifth period class told you about semicolons. (Mine called them “the world’s most boring punctuation mark.”) The day will come when they’ll be glad they know.