“Remember in 1984, when they had Newspeak and they trimmed down the language? That could happen to our language! It’s losing its meaning. It could be argued that if you can’t articulate a thought, you are not having the thought. I don’t want our language to be reduced to LOLs.”
-An English teacher writing to blogger Soibhan Curious about her frustration with poor word usage and grammar on Facebook and other social-networking sites
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“Here’s the truth: I enjoy the company of people who know how to use words. Their ability to use words is one of the reasons I enjoy their company. However, I enjoy other people for all sorts of other reasons. Just because they don’t know the difference between “effect” and “affect” doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer me. In fact, while I was busy learning to nitpick about grammar, they may have been off doing things that had actual constructive impacts on others’ lives.”
