THE POINT ABOUT GRAMMAR

~ Posted by Robert Butler, March 5th 2012

Confucius was once asked what would be the first action he took if he were ruling a country. He replied that it would certainly be to correct language. His reason was that justice could only exist in a world where what is said is what is meant.

He might have applauded a new initiative from Selfridges, the London department store. A retired businessman, Martin Gwynne gives two-hour talks on grammar (complete with a blackboard) in which he demonstrates, for example, how a misplaced comma can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence.

Two articles in the Daily Telegraph have praised the talks (here and here), but there has also been one in the Guardian by the poet Michael Rosen, which argues that there is no such thing as correct language. Rosen sees something sinister going on here. "This is not a neutral activity," he writes, "it is part of how a certain caste of people have staked a claim over literacy."

Well, to an extent. Yes, it can be tiresome when people tut-tut over split-infinitives or the misuse of the word hopefully, but the important point to hang on to is not what is correct or incorrect, as if this were an exclusive society with a complicated set of rules for keeping people out. The bigger issue is what makes the best sense. You can say grammar is important. You can't say grammar are important.

The Economist Style Guide, which returned online a fortnight ago, says the first requirement is to be "readily understandable". It goes on to quote Stendhal: "I see but one rule: to be clear." As an aim, that's wholly inclusive.

Robert Butler is online editor of Intelligent Life