On 1-Jul-09, at 2:55 PM, Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar  
wrote:

> The argument that anything is correct if it does not create  
> misunderstanding is preposterous.

It certainly is. This argument is taken up engagingly in this post on  
Language Log classic:
<http://158.130.17.5/~myl/languagelog/archives/001843.html>

> Heck, it don't matter to me none.
>
> Do you know what I mean when I say that? Of course you do.
>
> Do we teach it that way in our schools? Of course we don't.

But simply because there are constructions that are not grammatical  
for any English speaker, doesn't mean that there is only one kind of  
correct English. "It don't matter to me none is clearly dialectal,  
but that doesn't mean it's incorrect in that dialect.

Also, part of the construction arrived at by the girl "explain  
you" (meaning "explain something to you") is incorrect now, but may  
represent a future English construction. These things change, you  
know. Historically, schools graduated students. Then students began  
to graduate from schools. Most recently, students have begun to  
graduate schools.

Best,
Brett

-----------------------
Brett Reynolds
English Language Centre
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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