Crystal, From just one point of view, and there are many others to consider, the use of "snotty" seems to exude a tone of derision and petulance that calls attention to itself, and sets up a tone for the rest of the sentence which the writer may or may not intend. I would have to see the rest of the paper to make a clearer judgment, though. Marshall -----Original Message----- From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Crystal Benedicks Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 10:56 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: teaching question Dear All-- Is anyone willing to share an effective way of teaching students the problem with a sentence like this: "At the risk of sounding snotty, a senior should never split an infinitive or dangle a participle." This was written by a senior at my college. I assume that he is burying his subject ("I") out of a sense that this is a formal occasion (he's complaining to a professor about other students). I see students make this kind of mistake often in such situations. I'm just not sure how to name this problem, or address it. Thank you, Crystal Benedicks Wabash College To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/