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The angst of a grammar nazi at a boring committee meeting
The One Committee to Rule Them All nitpicked a document assembled by our co-chair last night.
Version A (original):
...purposes may be social, political, education, or institutional enhancement.
Version B (after correction by one ranking member):
...purposes may be social, political, educational, or institutional enhancement.
Version C (suggestion by yours truly, who is evidently too young and stupid to be listened to):
...purposes may be social, political, educational, or for institutional enhancement.
I was the only person under 50 in that room, and I was the only person who noticed that Ranking Member's Version B actually just made the adjective-modified noun at the end of the phrase stick out like a sore thumb. Another Ranking Member went on to remark that "there are English grammar rules that no writer actually uses."
I am a writer. I use those rules. My profs would dock me for not using those rules. Things like this slowly eat away at my desire to remain within this institution which is in dire need of younger people to carry on its legacy.
Version A (original):
...purposes may be social, political, education, or institutional enhancement.
Version B (after correction by one ranking member):
...purposes may be social, political, educational, or institutional enhancement.
Version C (suggestion by yours truly, who is evidently too young and stupid to be listened to):
...purposes may be social, political, educational, or for institutional enhancement.
I was the only person under 50 in that room, and I was the only person who noticed that Ranking Member's Version B actually just made the adjective-modified noun at the end of the phrase stick out like a sore thumb. Another Ranking Member went on to remark that "there are English grammar rules that no writer actually uses."
I am a writer. I use those rules. My profs would dock me for not using those rules. Things like this slowly eat away at my desire to remain within this institution which is in dire need of younger people to carry on its legacy.
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I don't despair of the people who didn't know that versions A & B were wrong, exactly - but I do despair of anyone who, when you pointed out the mistake, opposed correcting it!
I immediately wanted to correct V's A & B as I read them too. Am crap at articulating grammatical rules, but there is something about the flow and ordering of the words that just *feels* wrong.
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