Grammar notes


Best news of recent times is that war has resumed. No, not that tragic and brutal one. But after a lull in hostilities, another far older fight can continue. There is a new leader to take up the cudgels against the barbarians. The enemy is about to be pursued with renewed vigour. In short, the Apostrophe Protection Society is back in action. This warrior against incorrect punctuation, but especially the inexcusable misuse of the apostrophe, has recovered from the retirement of its former leader and a new chairman has picked up the reins. And Bob McCalden has already promised to… Continue reading
PERHAPS this blog post should come with an advisory caution; like those that precede some of the raunchier dramas screened on post-watershed TV. A warning about bad language or offensive dialogue. Displaying an awareness of some readers’ fragile sensibilities.  Guarding against young minds being led down sinful paths; the elderly… Continue reading

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It was only a few days ago that I suggested  many of the words and phrases that have already become lingua franca during the recent global crisis were sure to be well in the running for selection as Word(s) of the Year. Place your bets … Since then we have heard (imagined)  cries of “stop the presses” as the highly respected Oxford English Dictionary (OED) broke into its normal schedule and prepared to rush out an extra print run to acknowledge the pervasive presence of Covid-19 related neologisms. In the words of OED management, this is significant update; a statement… Continue reading