punctuation rules

Hal and the Cell Phone

Tweet I love my cell phone and would not like to go back to a world without them. But like Hal, the bossy computer in Stanley Kubric’s great film, 2001: a Space Oddysey, these little machines are messing with our heads. I teach first-year university students, and have noticed two new developments this year: 1) […]

Language Change, Sociolinguistics, Syntax, Teaching Writing linguistics in the classroom, logical punctuation, meaning vs. grammar, punctuation rules, sociolinguistics, teaching writing, 0

A 4th of July linguistic reflection

Tweet This is the 4th of July, Independence Day in America. It provides an opportunity to reflect on linguistic issues related to our Constitution and our laws. It is also a chance to reflect on the interaction of our personal, political, religious, and social lives in relation to our convictions. The Second Amendment, which is […]

Historical Linguistics, Semantics, Teaching Writing historical linguistics, language and the U.S. Constitution, language change, linguistics, linguistics in the classroom, punctuation rules, semantics, 2

Logical punctuation

Tweet I am constantly apologizing to my students for the dumb rule that punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, “Yes, that’s what I apologize for.” This makes no sense, and no wonder everyone ignores it. But help is on the way — a move towards logical punctuation is gaining ground, as more and more people ignore […]

Miscellaneous, Syntax linguistics, linguistics in the classroom, logical punctuation, punctuation rules, teaching grammar, 0