Peter,
   
  Of course that sentence needs revision, and of course the student who wrote it needs to be taught that it is in error. One could start by trying to show that the word 'at' is redundant and therefore unnecessary. This would be much simpler (and probably more meaningful) than to try to explain it in more grammatical terms -- unless the student is ready for them.
   
  This has nothing to do with the rule I stated, which begins with the word 'never'. The problem with prescriptive rules of the sort I used as examples is their sweeping characteristics. Sweeping generalizations are never true.
   
  };--]
   
  Paul

Peter Adams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
  
In a message dated 7/21/06 12:02:01 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:


  Paul D writes, "On the other hand there is much prescriptivism that needs to be ended (e.g., prescriptive rules like 'never use a split infinitive,' or 'never end a sentence with a preposition.'"


I'm wondering whether encouraging students to revise the following sentence be an example of "prescriptivism that needs to be ended"?


I don't know where my book is at.


Peter Adams
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