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To who it may concern: Grammar Girl coming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m amazed sometimes at what makes noise in pop culture. Angelina Jolie having twins, yeah, I get it. But an author building a whole cult following on grammar? Presented in a hip way? Or as hip as grammar can be presented?
Meet Mignon Fogarty, self-proclaimed Grammar Girl. Literally, you can meet her at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday July 16 at the Decatur Library, sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. She’s kicking off a national tour for her first book, “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.”
Hmm. She uses the word “dirty” in her title, and she’s pretty cute. Maybe I’m starting to understand how this grammar-into-gold thing works.
The AJC’s Rosalind Bentley did an interview with Fogarty that ran Monday. Here’s an excerpt.
Q: What are the most common errors we make?
A: The two biggest myths are that you shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition and that you shouldn’t split infinitives. Nearly all modern grammarians don’t hold people to those rules. … You shouldn’t contort your sentence just so you won’t end it with a preposition. But I would tell people never split an infinitive in a cover letter because you never know who’s reading it.
Question: What’s your biggest grammar bugaboo? I still have trouble with lay and lie. Thank God for copy editors!
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Books
Comments
By mom3boys
July 15, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
Thank God! Grammar will become cool!! The language arts teachers of the world salute you!
By erinanne
July 15, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this
I mix up affect and effect and it’s and its constantly.
I’m sure I have ended a sentence or two with a preposition, so I’m glad to know that rule is out of vogue. It would not hurt for me to go back and read my old copy of Strunk and White as a refresher.