# The most common grammatical error **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2001, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-common-grammatical-error/65963 "2001-05-20T03:14:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-common-grammatical-error/65963/61 "2001-05-23T08:29:08Z")
Getting slightly serious for a moment… Given a language (in its most abstract and formal sense, a language is a set of strings [stirngs of what? Well, could be anything… for human language, speech sounds would be the basis, I suppose]), the “grammar” of that language is the set of rules for determining if a given string is or is not a member of the set. Linguisticians prefer to deduce these rules by observing what native speakers of the language consider to be correct use of said language. You can, however, codify and document the known rules: this is what grammarians do - with a greater or lesser degree of accuracy. (Panini’s original grammar of Sanskrit was pretty much founded on observation; on the other hand, as many have pointed out, there have been a lot of “grammars” of English that use prescriptive models based inappropriately on analogies with Latin.) Languages change over time; however, at any given point in time, a language can be considered as having a set of rules, and you can use those rules to determine whether a given utterance is “grammatical”. Of course, no two people use language in exactly the same way - linguisticians refer to the “principle of mutual comprehensibility”, which basically means that, if two people can understand each other, they’re speaking the same language. So… um. There was a point here, where did I put it? Oh, yes: language does have rules, but they’re founded on actual usage, not on prescriptive authority. And some variation is acceptable (more or less acceptable, depending on the social context of the utterance; for example, goat-felching references are inappropriate in legal writing). And language changes over time, so you never know; you might think someone’s making an error of grammar, but s/he may, in fact, be using the English of the future. (That’s my excuse, anyway…) ---
**Author:** ![Internaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@Internaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Internaut)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-common-grammatical-error/65963/62 "2001-05-23T09:32:47Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Collounsbury_ > > Bah. O devastating virtuosity! It seems no rebuttal is possible. > [@](#): > > Aberration implies violation of some natural laws, not some ad hoc grammatical rules developed to describe a fairly hypothetical ideal usage. O really? Who says so? (Careful… you can’t appeal to any _authority_, remember?) And why do you mention _ad hoc_ rules, by the way? (Note the apparent contradiction in the very idea of such rules!) > [@](#): > > Hogwash. I second imapunha. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not some unfounded essentialism. Lovely! We are to duel with slogans and quaint American ejaculations at 15,000,000 paces, are we? Note that I did not deny that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but proceeded by granting that point (if point it be). > [@](#): > > Nope, sounds like some artful combination to me. I talk that way all the time. Glad you like it. That might explain a lot… [+ emoticon of your choice] As I said, perhaps _De gustibus grammaticis non est postandum_. It’s just that some of us _are_, sometimes, for one good-enough reason or another, interested in writing in accord with certain established canons. If that’s not among your interests, pay no attention: concentrate your efforts in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-common-grammatical-error/65963/63 "2001-05-23T10:07:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\* > I have your car. > > I have all cars. > > All your cars are belong to me. > > But I will sell them back to you for LOW! LOW! prices! Some money down and MORE MONEY EVERY MONTH! > > IF I CAN’T SELL IT, YOU CAN’T BUY IT! > > “How can you afford to sell SO MANY CARS?” I hear you ask! > > Well, friend, it’s because I’ve got LOW! LOW! overhead and because I’m a little CRRRRRRAaaaazy! That’s why they call me Crazy Fenris! If I can’t sell you a car, I WON’T! What could be nuttier than that!? (etc.) > \*\* We get sale. Some’body set up us’ the car. You are on your way to Crazy Fenris’s’ sale make you’re time. Strong is the car with Fenris, yes. Something I hate is when people don’t use simpler constructions like, “I hate when people don’t use simpler constructions.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-common-grammatical-error/65963.md?page=3)