Final Revision’s Blog


Debunking Strunk & White “Elements…”
April 18, 2009, 6:46 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ,

Everyone should read this fabulous article “50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice” by University of Edinburgh’s, Head of Linguistics Geoffrey K. Pullum. It washes away many of the myths many of us find ourselves uneasy, unsure and completely confused about. Pullum writes that “the result [of Strunk & White's Elements] is a nation of educated people who know they feel vaguely anxious and insecure whenever they write “however” or “than me” or “was” or “which,” but can’t tell you why. The land of the free in the grip of The Elements of Style.”

Pullum goes on to show numerous examples of how the book actually uses many of the prescribed writing faux pas. An excellent read for anyone feeling reticent to put anything on paper for fear of unwanted grammatical error(s).




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