Message text written by "Michael D. Porter"
<Snip>Lexicographers also understand that they are both recorders of
language
and preservers of language. The rules of language can be broken to good
effect and purpose (Joyce immediately comes to mind in this regard), but
for common discourse and communication, a unified set of standard usages
has to be available in order to make communication possible. Too many
people today, in ordinary writing, use, for example, "they," "their,"
"they're," and "there" almost interchangeably, expecting context of the
surrounding sentences to supply meaning. Often, it does not, and one is
left scratching one's head at the intent of the missive. That's why we
have dictionaries, and English teachers, and editors. <smile>
<
Thank you, Michael, for bringing this issue to the fore (or is that four?
or for????)
Dave
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