![\"Please](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2022\/grammarcops.webp\")
Image from Grammar Police a.k.a. Grammar Cops<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Many times I\u2019ve had my use of the English language criticized and my grammar scoffed at by the Grammar Police, but it don\u2019t bother me, I tells ya. All those criticisms just roll off me like water off a duck. I\u2019ve been out of college for more years than some of you have been alive and there\u2019s not much chance of me taking any kind of remedial grammar or English courses. I don\u2019t want to learn how to diagram a sentence! I forgot that nonsense in grade school, and I\u2019ve never used it since. And don\u2019t snivel \u2013 diagramming sentences would not improve my grammar or my use \u2013or misuse\u2013 of the English language.<\/span><\/p>\n Can you imagine the hoots and hollers I\u2019d get if I wrote this?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGrammatically, for he\/she\/it we use \u201cdoes\u201d or \u201cdoesn\u2019t\u201d like in,<\/span><\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t eat meat.<\/span><\/p>\n but these days I\u2019m observing the usage of the above sentence(especially in American movies) like this,<\/span><\/p>\n He don\u2019t eat meat.<\/span><\/p>\n So, after a lot of observations, I\u2019m assuming that both usages are correct.<\/span><\/p>\n My assumption \u2013 When to use \u201cdon\u2019t\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n In temporary situations like,<\/span><\/p>\n He don\u2019t have a pen.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026Worth noting: though the validity of he don\u2019t in various dialects is debatable, I\u2019ve yet to come across a dialect in which he doesn\u2019t isn\u2019t considered correct. In other words, as a non-native speaker, it is always safest to err on the side of caution and use he doesn\u2019t. Speakers of \u2018don\u2019t dialects\u2019 might possibly find it a tad uppity or overly formal\u2014but not incorrect\u2026<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nope! I did not write that I tells ya, it came from a site that claims:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEnglish Language & Usage Stack Exchange\u201d is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n See this page.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n If you doesn\u2019t like that, write to the guy who wrote it; don\u2019t kill the messenger.<\/span><\/p>\n Hey Grammar Cop, did I use that semi-colon correctly?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Anyway, here\u2019s what I think. I think the purpose of language, both spoken and written, is to communicate. If you\u2019re gonna fret over passive voice, active voice, verb agreement, gerund usages, prepositions, and the like, I think you should teach English, edit books,\u00a0 or subscribe to the \u201cHow to Make Fun of \u2014 and Criticize \u2014 Stupid People Who Don\u2019t Write Well\u201d newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s get on with this. Language is for communication. If you speak or write and successfully communicate your thoughts or ideas, that\u2019s good enough for me.<\/span><\/p>\n If I tell you \u2013 \u201cMake certainly that you don\u2019t drop you’re computer in to the bath tub if it gots water in it!\u201d Criticize the English if you must, but don\u2019t ignore my warning! OK ignore me and go ahead — correct that sentence and ruin your computer.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The English language is alive \u2013 IT\u2019S ALIVE! IT\u2019S ALIVE! And because it\u2019s alive, it\u2019s constantly changing.<\/span><\/p>\n We think teenagers don\u2019t use the English language so good. Right? Oh sorry\u2026 don\u2019t use the English language \u201cwell\u201d, is that better? It may surprise you to learn that many words that were once slang are now proper and have been officially approved by the English & Grammar Police (EGP).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at a couple of 1920s slang phrases and words that are now accepted by the EGP:<\/span><\/p>\n Cat\u2019s Pajamas<\/strong> <\/span> Wallflower<\/strong><\/span> OK \u201cOK started off as the LOL of its time. Then Martin Van Buren\u2019s presidential campaign popularized it and its brevity proved useful for sending telegraph messages. You can read more about the history of the word in Allan Metcalf\u2019s book, OK: The Improbable Story of America\u2019s Greatest Word<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nDarcy is the cat\u2019s pajamas. It means she\u2019s the best. (Don\u2019t get all excited, I\u2019m just making an example).<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDarcy is certainly not a wallflower, she\u2019s the center of attention!<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Who doesn\u2019t use OK? Eh?<\/span><\/p>\n