Ignorant is too harsh: 13 grammatical mistakes that instantly reveal people's ignorance

[csziggy]

146. I suspect the era of "correct English" will be short period of human history

Barely noticeable over time.

I read a lot of old wills, letters and documents as part of genealogical research. Spelling and grammar are widely variable over most of the time period I have covered - 1600 to current day. Around 1850-1900 usage became more standardized depending on the person and their educational level but prior to that the variations in use and spelling resembled what we see today on the internet to an amazing degree.

Since computerized grammar and spellcheck software tend to be "learning" from current usage they will not standardize usage to the old norms. They may create new norms but I doubt it - they tend to learn from average users, not from the erudite ones so will trend towards the less rather than more educated usage.

I don't really see anything wrong with this. Language should reflect the actual use rather than some artificial construct of ideal usage - so long as clarity is retained. All clarity and comprehension needs is a common basis of usage.

On the other hand, variation in usage in different groups add spice to our language. As an example, the language usage by the young man in this story is decidedly non-standard English but his use of language certainly livens the story and enhances his narrative!

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