Grammar myths

[Verona_82]

Thanks for the information! I wish I visited this forum more often.
Perhaps I'm a little behind the times, but I've learned about the so-called "ban" on split infinitives and prepositions at the very end of a sentence only thanks to this site. As for the other myths, it was drummed into me at school that sentences beginning with 'and' or 'but' were 'bad, very very bad English". Double negatives? No way! They were declared outlaws. However, we never had problems with 'none' or 'data'.
It seems to me [it's only my personal opinion] that both the quantity and 'quality' of such myths vary from counrty to country. For example, a very common myth here is about 'some' and 'any', the former to be used in affirmative sentences and the latter in negative sentences and questions, and it takes plenty of time to dispel it. Starting a sentence with 'because' was also frowned upon by my teachers and tutors. Because it's bad English, such structures are best avoided :)

[Vidor]

I'll just add that the little dissertation on "gotten" is misbegotten. As we've discussed in this forum quite recently "gotten" is extinct in BrE .

The writer notes exactly that, but points out that BrE is poorer as a result.

[grammarly]

My advice with such 'myths' is that for business, formal, or academic writing, they should be followed. In informal or creative writing, you can break the "rules" as much as you like. The reasoning is that, while many people recognise that not splitting the infinitive can make your writing sound overly heady and sometime unclear, many people still subscribe to these myths as rules.

In a setting where your writing is being judged by others and where their opinon is crucial, I suggest following these 'myths' as 'rules', unless your boss/professor/interviewer makes it clear that doing otherwise is acceptable.

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[Raymott]

My advice with such 'myths' is that for business, formal, or academic writing, they should be followed. In informal or creative writing, you can break the "rules" as much as you like. The reasoning is that, while many people recognise that not splitting the infinitive can make your writing sound overly heady and sometime unclear, many people still subscribe to these myths as rules.

In a setting where your writing is being judged by others and where their opinon is crucial, I suggest following these 'myths' as 'rules', unless your boss/professor/interviewer makes it clear that doing otherwise is acceptable.

Wow! So, does your grammar checker advise using incorrect English in all cases where readers might think incorrect English is correct? Does it change "with you and me" to "with you and I" because some readers think the latter is right? How can you predict your readers' misunderstandings accurately enough to judge the amount of drivel you need to write?

[Vidor]

My advice with such 'myths' is that for business, formal, or academic writing, they should be followed. In informal or creative writing, you can break the "rules" as much as you like. The reasoning is that, while many people recognise that not splitting the infinitive can make your writing sound overly heady and sometime unclear, many people still subscribe to these myths as rules.

In a setting where your writing is being judged by others and where their opinon is crucial, I suggest following these 'myths' as 'rules', unless your boss/professor/interviewer makes it clear that doing otherwise is acceptable.

See, this is why the "myths" aren't myths, and instead remain pernicous influences. People keep telling us "this is wrong, but do it anyway, because people think you should."

Well, no. A preposition is a perfectly fine thing to end a sentence with.

[SirGod]

My advice with such 'myths' is that for business, formal, or academic writing, they should be followed. In informal or creative writing, you can break the "rules" as much as you like. The reasoning is that, while many people recognise that not splitting the infinitive can make your writing sound overly heady and sometime unclear, many people still subscribe to these myths as rules.

In a setting where your writing is being judged by others and where their opinon is crucial, I suggest following these 'myths' as 'rules', unless your boss/professor/interviewer makes it clear that doing otherwise is acceptable.

I completely agree with you. I am following these myths as rules, even if they are outdated, because it doesn't mean that they are wrong. They may be considered myths, but it is in my interest to follow them as rules, because I don't know who is going to read my texts and if that reader agrees or not with these myths.

[5jj]

Well, no. A preposition is a perfectly fine thing to end a sentence with.

And it's fine to start a sentence with 'and', sometimes.

[freezeframe]

My advice with such 'myths' is that for business, formal, or academic writing, they should be followed.

I do a lot of academic writing and I never follow these "rules". So far, this has been acceptable for "the top Canadian university", as it likes to call itself.

If this isn't good enough for an automated proofreading website, I won't lose any sleep over it.