A reader asks: How does one gently correct someone’s poor grammar? I usually let it slide but I want to help them to sound better educated.
I have a few basic rules:
I feel I have an obligation to correct the grammar of my wife or my kids, though I try not to do this in public.
If you’re a friend and you make a mistake that is bound to be seen or heard repeatedly, e.g., a mistake in a business presentation, you’ll receive an email from me on the subject.
There have been people in my life who have asked me directly to correct their mistakes when I come across them. This doesn’t happen frequently, but I eagerly accept the invitation when it comes up.
I try not to be pedantic. There are grammatical errors that we learned not to make in second or third grade, e.g., “My parents sent my brother and I to a nice school,” or “I should have went to the store.” I’m much more likely to address something like this than I am minor issues that few people care about, e.g., “Their mission was to boldly go.” (split infinitive), or “I appreciated him coming to me and apologizing.” (failure to modify a gerund with a possessive).
Can’t swear that this is true but hoping so.
We must never forget.
The more visibility and the more frequent reminders we can get on this catastrophe in U.S. history the better.
It’s almost funny when we hear that California is a socialist state, or a police state (due to our environmental restrictions), or that people are leaving in droves to go to Texas or Florida. When I come across people who say this, I wonder: have you ever actually been to California?
Do you know that the garden-variety 3 BR, 2 BA house here lists at about $1.2 million, where, if it were moved to, say, the Midwest, it would be worth perhaps $2500,000? Why do you think that could possibly be? Maybe the law of supply and demand doesn’t apply to the Marxist part of the nation?
Perhaps it’s because Californians are offered fantastic economic opportunities. We develop and implement ideas that improve the lives of everyone on Earth, and that we profit greatly from our undertakings.
Something for the MAGA crowd to consider.
The main way governments create wealth is by educating people so that they can become productive members of society. They also build roads and airports and maintain law and order so that honest businesses can thrive.
Anyone living now who believes that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are creating wealth for anyone but themselves is a total fool.
A ton of people bought into the concept expressed here in the mid-20th Century, but no semi-intelligent person today believes that tax breaks for billionaires/trillionaires generates a nickel for the common person.
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