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From: sarima@netcom.com (Stanley Friesen)
Subject: Re: Double Negatives
Message-ID: <sarimaDDFuMw.80x@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <00994B4F.3BE17BC2@vms.csd.mu.edu> <sarimaDD898A.HJ0@netcom.com> <1995Aug14.192801.6474@relay.acadiau.ca>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 04:47:19 GMT
Lines: 26
Sender: sarima@netcom8.netcom.com

In article <1995Aug14.192801.6474@relay.acadiau.ca>,
Alan McKay <alan@dragon.acadiau.ca> wrote:
>
>Can you give us more info on just who these teachers were, and when
>they did it?  (see my other post which was a follow-up on the same
>topic)

I am not sure of the exact history of the "classicalists"
or "prescriptive grammarians", but I think this style was pretty
much the standard way of teaching English up until at least
the 1950's.  (And I think it dates back quite aways, as I think
Mark Twain spoofed it on occasion).

This style of English teaching involved applying alot of ideas
from Classical Latin (a highly affected, almost artificial,
language).  Thus, classical logic, and a grammatical model
based on Latin and Greek.

This school also originated the "sentences shouldn't end in
prepositions" fallacy - which prompted Churchhill's "That
is something up with which I will not put" rejoinder.
-- 
NAMES: sarima@netcom.com swf@ElSegundoCA.attgis.com

May the peace of God be with you.

