Grammar Round-up

I just came across this apparently weekly NY Times column explaining the editors' position on various grammatical issues and rounding up usage errors of the past week.  Definitely worth a read!

Here is the beginning:

The ‘Tweet’ Debate

By PHILIP B. CORBETT

After I distributed the in-house version of After Deadline to my colleagues last week, word leaked out that I had supposedly “banned” use of the word “tweet” to refer to messages posted on Twitter.

I had suggested that outside of ornithological contexts, “tweet” should still be treated as colloquial rather than as standard English. It can be used for special effect, or in places where a colloquial tone is appropriate, but should not be used routinely in straight news articles. I had made this point before; my memo was simply a reminder.

Reaction outside The Times was swift, widespread and often negative. The scorn we encounter from traditionalists for allowing “data” as either singular or plural — previously my benchmark for an incendiary stylebook issue — pales in comparison.

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[the rest of the article]