Introduction

I decided to initiate this blog because of the many errors in English grammar and spelling that I regularly see, some on the Internet, but others in very respectable magazines, and even peer-reviewed academic journals. In many cases, such errors are made by writers who have learned English as a second language, but not always. What is particularly disturbing are the many errors and typos perpetrated by native English speakers who are simply careless and don't bother to proofread their work. An error may not always be seen as such by a non-native speaker, who may assume that the usage is correct. In this way, certain errors are being perpetuated, and standards are deteriorating. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if the errors were obvious, so a well informed reader could simply read past them. However, in many cases they are not obvious and can significantly alter the intended meaning.

I'll be posting here to discuss certain types of problem that particularly "bug" me, partly just to vent, but also in the hope that other writers, both native and non-native speakers, will find my observations useful. From time to time I will post excerpts from writings that I find particularly interesting, either as models of good English usage and style, or examples of what can go wrong.

If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section. And if you would like to post brief passages from your own writing for me to go over and, if necessary, correct, you are welcome to do so. I hope you will enjoy this blog and profit from reading here.