I wonder if this "slippage" might be a part of a broader populism that
we are seeing in politics, education, the arts, etc. Without getting
into political judgments, we have a president who uses a very informal
register in most of his public statements, especially when he is ex
tempore. We see much the same sort of discourse on the news channels
when consultants are being interviewed. We don't expect much more from
sports figures, but then I listen to a commentary by Frank Deford and
I'm carried away by the elegance of his language.
I've noticed even in popular fiction that there is a dumbing down, or
perhaps a coarsening. For example, I've enjoyed a number of Tom
Clancy's novels, but in his recent Red Rabbit his protagonist Jack Ryan
changes from being a cultured, sensitive, macho sort to being a crude,
boorish macho sort. There's been a similar trend in Clive Cussler's
recent novels, and in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons the protagonist is
surprisingly unaware of things that a professor of symbology with an
international scholarly reputation should know. I suspect that
newspaper editorial policies may be reflecting this trend. I suspect
also that you all now know much more about my escape reading than I
would have wished. I just found one of the two Travis McGees that I
hadn't read, and I'm wallowing contentedly in it.
Herb
________________________________
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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