What elements do you consider to be "conventions of standard written"
English?

Mr. J. Owoh
English I and II
Parkview Magnet Arts/Science High School


-----Original Message-----
From: jerome shea [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 9:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A lot

What he said.
Jerry Shea

--On Monday, November 24, 2003 9:47 AM -0500 "Stahlke, Herbert F.W."
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
> Kurt,
>
> I was intrigued by your "non-standard and informal" comment on "a
lot",
> so I checked a few reference works.  The Random House American
Heritage
> Dictionary agrees that it is informal, as does The Longman Handbook
for
> Writers and Readers, which says that "it may be too informal for some
> academic writing."  Among other standard handbooks, Garner's A
Dictionary
> of Modern American Usage doesn't have an entry for it, nor does The
> Oxford Companion to the English Language.  The Merriam-Webster
Dictionary
> of American Usage has an interesting short essay on it.  They cite
Gowers
> in Fowler 1965 as saying that "the Concise Oxford Dictionary labels a
lot
> colloquial but that modern writers do not hesitate to use it in
serious
> prose."  They cite authors from Churchill to London, Galsworthy, and
> James Jones, including quotes from Harpers, Punch, and The AAUP
Bulletin,
> and they comment that "These expressions have been used in serious but
> not overformal writing for a long time, and they still are."
> I might go along with "informal" since two major references take that
> position, although even that is becoming a bit of a reach, but
> "non-standard" is pretty clearly inapplicable.
> Herb
>
>
>
>
>
> Kurt,
>
> Thank you.  I'll stick to my practice of avoiding the expression and
> encourage my students to do the same.
> Teresa
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kurt Steinbach
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 10:19 PM
> Subject: Re: A lot
>
> a lot is non-standard and informal English and should not be used in
your
> writing. You need to keep this in mind and teach thus to your
students.
> "a lot" refers to a parking lot or a lot as in a parcel of land. You
> should discourage your students from using it in writing because the
> phrase is simply an example of how we do NOT write the way we speak--
>
> Kurt Steinbach
> [log in to unmask]
> ________________________________________
> Kurt D. Steinbach                      (901) 323-2049
> 3114 Park Avenue                      [log in to unmask]
> Memphis, TN 38111-3003          www.people.memphis.edu/~kstenbch
> There is no other wisdom, and no other hope for us but that we grow
wise
> Love one another....George Harrison
>
>
> Teresa M Francis wrote:
>
>
>
> Thank you Jerry.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "jerome shea" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 3:21 PM
> Subject: Re: A lot
>
>
>
>
>
> I believe that depends on the qualifier, Teresa, whether singular or
> plural, thus:
>
> There ARE a lot OF PEOPLE here.....but
>
> There IS a lot OF PIE left.
>
> Jerry Shea, UNM
>
> --On Saturday, November 22, 2003 2:32 PM -0500 Teresa M Francis
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> There are a lot of people here. There is a lot of people here. Any
> thoughts? (I just avoid a lot and use a better word)
>
> Teresa Francis
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christine Reintjes" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 12:54 PM
> Subject: Re: Antother "either" question
>
>
> Dalia,
>
> Your question interests me. I am teaching this now in my developmental
> college class and your question came up the other day. The rule, as
you
> say, is that "neither" is considered singular when both subjects are
> singular.
>
> Neither John nor Mary is here.  (This is correct according to the
rule.)
>
> But neither "seems" like it should be plural to my students (and me)
> because it's like saying "both" are not here. On the other hand my
> students and I have no problem with "everyone is here" although
> "everyone" seems like a plural in meaning just like "neither" does.
>
> In speech I think that "are" is used more with neither than "is" even
by
> people whose dialect is fairly close to standard English. It just
sounds
> more natural although it's incorrect according to the formal grammar
> rules. --
>
> Christine Reintjes Martin
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Dalia Stein <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
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