Rules of Grammar

When I was in elementary school in the early 1960s, our teachers made a big deal out of grammatical rules like the one at left.

All these years later, “a lot” is still two words, but certain other similar things have fallen off a cliff, e.g.,

▪“All right” is also two words, but we constantly see “alright.”

▪Split infinitives are now common, e.g., “to boldly go.”

▪Cannot now can be written “can not.”

▪Modify a gerund no longer requires a possessive.

▪“Whom” is seldom used and when it is, it’s normally used incorrectly.

▪Agreement of subject and verb, e.g., “There’s a lot of things I hate about modern life.”

▪The subjunctive mood, stating a wish or something contrary to fact, like “If I was president.” Should be were.

My fourth-grade teacher, Ruth Tindall, would be rolling over in her grave.