Paul,
The editors I work with on my books are anything but careless, and I've
been impressed by their knowledge of conventions and attention to
detail. I'd be surprised if the NY Times hires editors who are any less
skilled. I read the Sunday Times in print and the daily online version
and am not aware of their "having slipped a great deal." Do you mean
that they have changed their conventions, or that they no longer
consistently observe their conventions? I'd be interested in seeing any
examples you could site.
I know you are aware of the language-is-deteriorating phenomenon. For
those who don't, there are ample examples from every period of history
in every language of statements that usually run "A generation ago,
people spoke better/wrote better/had higher standards, but today
standards have slipped/people are now ignorant/lazy/the language has
deteriorated." The problem is that people said exactly the same thing a
generation ago/ a hundred years ago/ five hundred years ago-and every
period in between. The evident conclusion is that this is a
psychological phenomenon rather that a linguistic phenomenon.
I'm not saying you're wrong about deterioration in journalism. I would
like to see support for statements such as the one you made about the
Times.
Dick Veit
________________________
Richard Veit
Department of English, UNCW
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul E. Doniger
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 1:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Changes of register (was: Adverb of Manner)
I could be sticking my neck out, but it seems to me that journalism has
relaxed its rules excessively in recent years, or the quality of writing
and editing has been lowered. I say this knowing full well that I am
married to a newspaper editor who holds very high standards; also, The
NY Times holds the reputation for highest standards in the industry
(they literally wrote the book on journailstic writing). However, they
all seem to have slipped a great deal -- even public radio has become
careless (if this is the right word) in it's use of formal language. I'm
not sure where this comes from, but I suspect that there is a direct
correlation between this and the lack of formal (I did not say
traditional!) grammar instruction in the lower grades (K-8? K-12?).
I would not accept a change of register as standard simply because of
its use in the media, but I suspect I am in a minority.
Paul D.
----- Original Message ----
From: Peter Adams <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 9:52:38 AM
Subject: Re: Adverb of Manner
In a message dated 8/16/06 9:49:55 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
it is the case that as the language changes it tends to change in
informal registers before the change creeps into more formal usage.
Teaching register as a part of teaching grammar is a good way to
acquaint students with notions of appropriateness and of change in
progress.
Good point, Herb. But I guess what I'm puzzled by is how to know when a
change has been accepted for writing in a fair(ly) formal register . . .
like the New York Times.
Peter Adams
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