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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (3328)	8/16/1999 9:42:00 AM
From: Jack Clarke	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4711

Steven: Are we to accept an obvious error simply because so many people make it? This is how language changes. But with regard to presently used as a synonym for now, I don't think the two terms are synonymous, although this may eventually come to pass, and indeed Webster's offers both "before long" and "now" as definitions, as well as the archaic "at once". To me presently means soon but not immediately, but this interpretation may reflect my own experience with Southern dialect. Southerners also use directly to mean a future event which will occur even sooner than "presently". "I'll be there presently" signifies a longer time than "I'll be there directly." None of this can be considered erudite or even standard American English, but that's what it sounds like to me. Best wishes, Jack

To: Dayuhan who wrote (3328)	8/16/1999 11:13:00 AM
From: jbe	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 4711

>At what point do we ditch the dictionary and stick to what is right?< In language, there is no "right" and "wrong." (We aren't talking morality here.) There is only "standard" and "non-standard." The general rule of thumb that linguists (as against prescriptive grammarians) employ to decide whether a particular "innovation" can be considered standard is this: do more than 50% of educated native speakers of the language use it, in written as well as oral speech? At the same time, there is no law prescribing that you must use it: if you prefer the good old ways, by all means, stick to them. As for the word "presently," I personally have no problem with its use as a near-synonym of "now," or "at present." Checking one of my Websters: presently 1. in a little while; soon. 2. at present; now. 3. [Archaic] at once; instantly. And why nitpick over such a minor matter? (I hope you were not planning to do so in the name of the Grammar Lab!!) I can understand the urge to get Terry <g>, but save your fire for the big stuff! Joan