31 August 2010

Keeping grammar rules flexible

Excerpts from a column at Boston.com:
Learning to write is hard enough without the burden of following non-rules. So let’s lighten the load a bit, starting with 10 usage topics that deserve a good leaving alone.

None are? None is? They’re both correct; none has meant both “not one” and “not any” for more than 1,000 years...

The girl that I marry. No, it doesn’t have to be whom I marry...

Since you asked. It’s totally legit to use since for because, unless it would cause ambiguity...

“And” can start a sentence. So can But and However...

You only live once. Spotting “misplacements” of only is a hobby for some picky readers...
Additional information, plus the other five topics (including "verbing nouns") at the link.  Via Neatorama.

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