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Open Letter
Jun. 20th, 2012 03:51 pmDear Wall Street Journal,
I did not read your article today about "grammar gaffes in the workplace," because one of the four up-front examples expected me to get exercised about a conversation described as between three people. You presumably prefer among. I assure you as a mathematician that something can rest between three points. Your rule also ignores the real-world use of language, and in specific the malleability of prepositions. Much like the split infinitive prohibition, it exists not for clarity, or even beauty, but to act as a secret handshake for those "in the know." My writing is for all people.
In summary, if you're going to pick nits in this way, I am honor-bound to point out that it's not a grammar gaffe. It's usage.
Yrs. in Christ,
I did not read your article today about "grammar gaffes in the workplace," because one of the four up-front examples expected me to get exercised about a conversation described as between three people. You presumably prefer among. I assure you as a mathematician that something can rest between three points. Your rule also ignores the real-world use of language, and in specific the malleability of prepositions. Much like the split infinitive prohibition, it exists not for clarity, or even beauty, but to act as a secret handshake for those "in the know." My writing is for all people.
In summary, if you're going to pick nits in this way, I am honor-bound to point out that it's not a grammar gaffe. It's usage.
Yrs. in Christ,
