Common English usage misconceptions: Difference between revisions

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With no authoritative [[language academy]], [[linguistic prescription|guidance]] on English language usage can come from many sources. This can create problems, as described by Reginald Close: <blockquote>Teachers and textbook writers often '''invent''' rules which their students and readers repeat and perpetuate. These rules are usually statements about English usage which the authors imagine to be, ''as a rule'', true. But statements of this kind are extremely difficult to formulate both simply and accurately. They are rarely altogether true; often only partially true; sometimes contradicted by usage itself. Sometimes the contrary to them is also true.<ref>[[#Clo64|Close 1964]]. n.p. (Front matter.) In a footnote to this text, Close also points to ''English as a Foreign Language'' by R. A. Close (George Allen and Unwin, London, 1962).</ref></blockquote>

Many [[usage]] forms are commonly perceived as [[nonstandard dialect|nonstandard]] or [[error (linguistics)|errors]] despite being either widely used or endorsed by authoritative descriptions.<ref>[[#Clo64|Close 1964]]. n.p. (Front matter.)</ref>{{Ref label|A|a|none}}

Perceived violations of correct English usage elicit visceral reactions in many people, or may lead to a perception of a writer beingas careless, uneducated, or lacking in attention to detail. For example, respondents to a 1986 [[BBC]] poll were asked to submit "the three points of grammatical usage they most disliked". Participants stated thatsaid their noted points "'made their blood boil', 'gave a pain to their ear', 'made them shudder', and 'appalled' them".<ref>Jenny Cheshire, "Myth 14: Double Negatives are Illogical" in [[#Bau98|Bauer and Trudgill 1998]]. pp. 113–114.</ref>

==Grammar==

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* '''Misconception:''' ''"[[Conjunction (grammar)|Conjunctions]] such as "and" or "but" must not begin a sentence."''

Those who impose this rule on themselves, or on their students, are following a modern English "rule" that was neither used historically nor universally followed in professional writing. Jeremy Butterfield described this perceived prohibition as one of "the folk commandments of English usage".<ref>[[#But08|Butterfield 2008]]. p. 136.</ref> The ''Chicago Manual of Style'' says: <blockquote>There is a widespread belief—one with no historical or grammatical foundation—that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as "and", "but", or "so". In fact, a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions. It has been so for centuries, and even the most conservative grammarians have followed this practice.<ref>[[#Uni10|University of Chicago Press 2010]]. p. 257.</ref>{{Ref label|C|c|none}}</blockquote>

Regarding the word "and", ''[[Fowler's Modern English Usage]]'' states, "There is a persistent belief that it is improper to begin a sentence with ''And'', but this prohibition has been cheerfully ignored by standard authors from Anglo-Saxon times onwards."<ref>[[#Bur96|Burchfield 1996]]. p. 52.</ref> ''[[Garner's Modern American Usage]]'' adds, "It is rank superstition that this coordinating conjunction <!-- meaning the word "and" --> cannot properly begin a sentence."<ref>[[#Gar03|Garner 2003]]. p. 44.</ref> The word "but" suffers from similar misconceptions. [[Bryan A. Garner|Garner]] says, "It is a gross canard that beginning a sentence with ''but'' is stylistically slipshod. In fact, doing so is highly desirable in any number of contexts, as many style books have said (many correctly pointing out that ''but'' is more effective than ''however'' at the beginning of a sentence)".<ref>[[#Gar03|Garner 2003]]. p. 118.</ref> ''[[Fowler's]]'' echoes this sentiment: "The widespread public belief that ''But'' should not be used at the beginning of a sentence seems to be unshakeable. Yet it has no foundation."<ref>[[#Bur96|Burchfield 1996]]. p. 121.</ref>

Despite this, some versions of Microsoft Word would flag a sentence beginning with a coordinating conjunction.

* '''Misconception:''' ''"The [[English passive voice|passive voice]] is incorrect."''

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It is a misconception that the passive voice is always incorrect in English.<ref>[[#Wal04|Walsh 2004]]. pp. 61, 68–69.</ref> Some "writing tutors" believe that the passive voice is to be avoided in all cases,<ref>[[#Pul09|Pullum 2009]].</ref> but "there are legitimate uses for the passive voice", says Paul Brians.<ref name="Brians 2009. p. 169">[[#Bri09|Brians 2009]]. p. 169.</ref> [[Mignon Fogarty]] also points out that "passive sentences aren't incorrect"<ref>[[#Fog10a|Fogarty 2010]]. "Active Voice Versus Passive Voice."</ref> and "If you don't know who is responsible for an action, passive voice can be the best choice".<ref>[[#Fog10a|Fogarty 2010]]. "Active Voice Versus Passive Voice."</ref>{{Ref label|D|d|none}} When the active or passive voice can be used without much awkwardness, there are [[disputes in English grammar#Examples|differing opinions]] about which is preferable. [[Bryan A. Garner]] notes, "Many writers talk about passive voice without knowing exactly what it is. In fact, many think that any BE-VERB signals passive voice."<ref>[[#Gar03|Garner 2003]]. p. 592.</ref>

Some proscriptions of passive voice stem from its use to avoid accountability or as [[weasel words]], notrather than from it allegedly being ungrammaticalits orsupposed nonstandardungrammaticality.

* '''Misconception:''' ''"[[Litotes]]'' ''or [[double negation]] (sometimes called "[[Double negative|double negatives]]") are always incorrect."''

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* '''Misconception:''' ''"Some commonly used words are not "real words.""''

Common examples of words described as "not real" include "funnest", "impactful", and "mentee",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/is-funnest-a-word.aspx|title=Is "Funnest" a Word?|first=Mignon|last=Fogarty|date=2008-09-12|access-date=2012-09-25|archive-date=2014-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427083003/http://bridgingtheunbridgeable.com/2012/03/21/thusly-is-not-a-word-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.volokh.com/posts/1187887242.shtml|title=Is Not A Word|first=Eugene|last=Vokloh|date=2007-08-23|access-date=2012-09-25}}</ref> all of which are in common use, appear in numerous dictionaries as English words,<ref>[[#Dictionary.com|Dictionary.com]]. "Conversate"; [[#AllWords|AllWords.com]]. "Conversate"; [[#Lexicus|Lexicus]]. "Conversate".</ref><ref>[[#Dictionary.com|Dictionary.com]]. "Funnest"; [[#Oxford|Oxford English Dictionary]]. "Fun" [[#Scrabble|Scrabble Word Finder]]. "Funnest"; [[#AllWords|AllWords.com]]. "Funnest"; [[#Lexicus|Lexicus]]. "Funnest".</ref><ref>[[#Dictionary.com|Dictionary.com]]. "Impactful"; [[#Oxford|Oxford English Dictionary]]. "Impactful"; [[#Scrabble|Scrabble Word Finder]]. "Impactful"; [[#Collins|Collins Dictionaries]]. "Impactful"; [[#Lexicus|Lexicus]]. "Impactful".</ref><ref>[[#FreeDictionary|Free Dictionary]]. "Mentee"; [[#Dictionary.com|Dictionary.com]]. "Mentee"; [[#Oxford|Oxford English Dictionary]]. "Mentee"; [[#YourDictionary|YourDictionary.com]]. "Mentee"; [[#Scrabble|Scrabble Word Finder]]. "Mentee"; [[#AllWords|AllWords.com]]. "Mentee"; [[#Vocabulary.com|Vocabulary.com]]. "Mentee"; [[#Collins|Collins Dictionaries]]. "Mentee"; [[#Lexicus|Lexicus]]. "Mentee".</ref> and follow standard rules for constructing English words from [[Morpheme|morphemes]]. Many linguists follow a [[linguistic description|descriptive]] approach to language, where wordssome mayusages beare labeled as merely nonstandard, not improper or incorrect.

* '''Misconception:''' ''""Inflammable" can only mean "flammable."" / ""Inflammable" can only mean "not flammable.""''