By AMBER STAHR
amber@du2.byu.edu
I am a grammar snob.
When people make grammar mistakes I verbally correct them and often criticize them. I realize this is a bad habit that is quite rude and I try to keep my mouth shut, but when someone says 'costed' instead of 'cost,' I have to say something.
Because of my problem, I throroughly enjoyed last Tuesday's letter to the editor that reprimended The Daily Universe, students and even professors for using the English language incorrectly.
When I read this grammar letter, I almost shouted 'amen.' I am disgusted when people who have college degrees say, 'if there was.' It should be 'if there were.' I was pleased to find out others felt the way I did. I felt safety in numbers. May all the people with poor grammar be banished from the university.
But wait a miniute. If we kicked out everyone who wasn't gramatically perfect, would there be anyone left on campus? Is there anyone who hasn't ever made a grammar mistake in his or her life? I don't think so.
The more I think about my rude habbit, I am reminded of the story in the Bible where the scribes and Pharisees bring an adulter to Jesus and want her to be stoned. Then Jesus said, 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.'
How many of us have made mistakes in our life, even when we do know the rules? When athletes play a game of basketball they all know the rules, but do they follow them religiously? As Christians, we all know the commandments, but do we all keep them perfectly? No, we do not. Just because we know the rules of English Grammar doesn't mean we follow them exactly. No one is perfect.
So I know that I, as a grammar snob, must begin the long process of recovering from my disease. The first step is recognition.
The next step is attempting to keep my mouth shut. The other day when one of my professors said, 'And I says,' I immediatly wanted to label him a terrible professor. But he isn't. He is human -- imperfect like the rest of us.
So I would like to issue a call to all my fellow grammar snobs out there: Forgive and forget. When you are perfect at everything you will have the right to be upset when someone makes a mistake. But until then, let us all do our best to improve. Imperfection is a challenge to rise up and make an attempt at perfection.