right/wrong

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

also think it is important to realize that a language is not a static thing. It evolves and changes. For example, technically "their" is plural. But having dealt with the "his/her" thing for so long, I have come to think that perhaps a nice, simple singular use of "their" would make things easier. Which is better - "Every student must bring his/her book" or "Every student must bring their book". I know the second is wrong - but I hate the first. Mind you, I still use the first. But secretly, I hope the second is eventually accepted.

I've been saying for years that before long, grammar books will recognize this use of "their" as acceptable. Same with "they" -- "Dad, someone's on the phone for you." "I'm busy. What do they want?"

Of course, the problem in your example is avoided if one says "All students must bring their books."

ETA: Sydney, great minds think alike.

[AlphaFrog]

How about we just say this and call it a day:

[lovelyivy84]

I have no problem with rules that reinforce clear communication- use of periods, avoiding run-on sentences, subject-verb agreement, my pet peeve about the use of apostrophes, etc. They make sense.

But little nitpicky things like using "their" instead of his/her, or proper use of whom, or using the word ain't, or a million other questions of proper grammar usage (that are increasingly archaic) are completely useless IMO. In those cases, it's not about clear communication, it's about dumb rules that increasingly fewer people know or care about.

ETA: I dont care about the initial poster really- I think our present conversation is way more interesting.

[SydneyK]

I can see your points, but I wholeheartedly disagree with endorsing the word "ain't". It's grammatically incorrect to its core. It supposedly is a contraction for "am not", but since "am not" is preceded (correctly) by only the word "I", "I'm not" works just fine (and is grammatically correct).

When people say, "He ain't..." they're turning "is not" into a grammatically incorrect form of "isn't". If they're using "he ain't" as a form of "he am not", well, that's just even more wrong.

I've yet to see a example of "ain't" that is grammatically correct. If someone can show me one, I'd be happy to entertain the idea of "ain't" becoming acceptable. Until then, I'll just go on cringing every time I hear/read it. (And unfortunately, that's pretty often.)

/off soapbox

[lovelyivy84]

I'm not saying that ain't is correct- it isn't. But the meaning is in no way unclear- I understand perfectly well what it means and the use of the word is an indicator of class, region and upbringing as opposed to a lack of understanding on the part of the speaker.