Usage Project


In the first chapter of the textbook, Rodby and Winterowd distinguish between grammar and grammar (as usage) and between constitutive and regulative rules. Grammar is concerned with constitutive rules (the actual structures of a language) and usage is concerned with regulative rules (what forms should be used). The errors people make in using language almost all concern regulative rules, or usage, not grammar.

Some errors arise because of confusion between similar forms. Other errors are not really errors but usages that are in dispute. As a language changes over time, regulative rules change too, and when usage is changing, there may not be agreement on what form should be used.

To learn about and understand some of the most prevalent contemporary usage errors and disputes, you will each research one of the topics listed in step 4 below and report the results of your research in an oral presentation to the class and in a written paper.
 
1. By Thursday, September 4, choose three topics you would be most interested in researching, write their numbers on a slip of paper with your name, and hand it in to me. To help you choose, review the entries for the topics in Garner, The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. I will take your choices into consideration in assigning each of you to a topic.
 
2. Read and compare discussions of the topic in Garner (and in Rodby & Winterowd, when possible) and in at least the following seven books listed in the bibliography in the back of Garner:
 
·      The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd ed.
·      The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.
·      Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language
·      Burchfield, The New Fowler's Modern English Usage
·      Follett/Wensberg, Modern American Usage, 2nd ed.
·      The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed.
·      Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, 3rd ed.
 
Write a preliminary report explaining the usage error or dispute and discussing the differences in the recommendations of the various sources. State what you believe to be the most probably correct usage at the current time. Due: September 30.
 
3. Collect data on the usage error or dispute. (See the description of how to do this here. )
 
4. On the date assigned, give a 10-minute presentation to the class on the results of your research in steps 2 and 3. (See directions for the presentation here.)

Presentation schedule
Oct 21  and etc. beginning sentences; sentence adverbs
Oct 23  comma splices & run-ons; incomplete sentences
Oct 28  each, every (singular or plural?); it's/its etc.
Oct 30  abbreviations; apostrophes
Nov 4   between you and me/I; it is I/me
Nov 6   danglers; who/whom
Nov 11 different from/than; that and which
Nov 13 infer and imply; less and fewer
Nov 18 uncomparable adjectives; anticipatory reference
Nov 20 sexism; split infinitives
Dec 2   between and among; like and as
Dec 4   affect and effect; lay and lie
Dec 9   commas separating items; ending with prepositions
Dec 11 media; principal and principle

 
5. Write a paper explaining the usage error or dispute and reporting on the results of your research. (The first part of this paper will be a revised version of the preliminary report; see directions for the final paper here.) Due: December 11.

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