20121015

Which Language Rules to Flout. Or Flaunt?

Reading this article of the New York Times, we learn about two different types of people:
Descriptivist: Those that try to describe language as it's used.
Prescriptivist: Those that focus on how language should be used.

The proper use of language is essential since language is, in my opinion, one of the basics of humanity's existence. Humans rely on language to express themselves and communicate amongst each other, if it is not used properly, language could be misleading. In this case, the improper use of language becomes an obstacle in the advancement of our society. After all how could society move on if communication amongst it's people is mediocre?

I am not saying that words HAVE to necessarily ALWAYS be used properly as many prescriptivists believe with words such as which, not, if, etc. After all, even though how an argument is expressed is important, the thing that sticks to people is the what of that argument. Despite this, you should always be careful because the how can indeed change the what.  

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