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Languages and Linguistics

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,855 posts)

9. My high school freshman English teacher

Reply to Lionel Mandrake (Original post)

Thu Aug 1, 2019, 12:49 PM

Aug 2019

in 1962/63 insisted that it was never correct to say "I won't", but must always say "I shan't". At age 14, and as a powerless student, I wasn't able to tell her emphatically that no one under the age of 50 or so said "I shan't". It was incredibly annoying, but I got the answer right on the test and have never said "I shan't", not ever.

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My 1950s miseducation in English. [View all] Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 OP

Back then we also had to learn another language too. safeinOhio Jul 2019 #1

I remember being super confused by the same distinctions between shall and will (also school in 50s) bobbieinok Jul 2019 #2

Shall We Dance? delisen Jul 2019 #3

There is a real difference between shall and will. Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #5

Thank you...love language lessons! Karadeniz Jul 2019 #4

You're quite welcome. Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #6

Grammars have functions and purposes. Igel Jul 2019 #7

You have interesting things to say, as always. Lionel Mandrake Jul 2019 #8

My high school freshman English teacher PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2019 #9

"Shan't" sounds archaic to me, Lionel Mandrake Aug 2019 #10

My English teacher was probably in her early 50's at that point, PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2019 #11

Yes, it's a grave error to carelessly split an infinitive. Lionel Mandrake Aug 2019 #12

Bingo! PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2019 #13