i love english language

i love english language collects a range of links, blog posts (usually copying across the whole article rather than just linking), accounts of elements of grammar, pages on language theory, and much more. Worth following.

Grammar Rock!

He started shoutin' out in-ter-jec-tions!   Busy prepositions, always on the march!  On the top is where you are... over the rainbow...  And many, many more.

All your favourite Grammar Rock is in this playlist, along with some other short vids to help revise word classes and grammar stuff.  

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLC6C5D33CA6BF99F3

I Read Where I Am

Articles about reading, its history and nature, with some interesting graphology and a striking style. Mainly for A2s, I guess, but interesting for anyone. Try any of the articles on this blog. 

I Read Where I Am
http://www.ireadwhereiam.com/

Kate Middleton Tops Gaga for Top Fashion Buzzword

The Language Monitor has been tracking the frequency of usage of phrases in the fashion press, and compiles an annual report, which you can find on this page. We see a bunch of eponyms, some blendings, compounds, and a menagerie of other word types. I particularly liked* 'meggings'.

http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion/

*By 'liked', I mean loathed. And if you ever see me wearing any, please punch me until I stop.

The Case for Forensic Linguistics

I was looking for forensic linguistics links, and there's a whole load of them; but often they're rather academic - or the meat is hidden away, because they want you to take a paid course.
This BBC article gives a neat case study - using some concepts you'll recognise. Try Wikipedia's Forensic Linguistics page as a follow-up - if you haven't already. There are lots of links to cases and YouTube videos of lectures there. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7600769.stm

Article: Web Makes Keeping Up Tough for Slang Expert

You can't make a slang dictionary quick enough these days. 

(Also fun: the interactive guess-the-slang widget on the left of the article.)

Web Makes Keeping Up Tough for Slang Expert
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281504576331494075796656.html

5 Kudzu Words...

What's Kudzu? According to Darlene here at Grammar Divas, a kind of creeping weed that wheedles its way into your world. I guess it means more as an image to her than it does to me, but her discussion here, of everyday 'spoken' words that find themselves in a first draft and weaken the written style, shows how paying attention to those little grammar words can reveal a lot about the nature and quality of a piece of writing. 

5 Kudzu Words That Creep Into Your Writing
http://www.grammardivas.com/5-kudzu-words-that-creep-into-your-writing/

The Mistake That Bugs He & I

Okay, so I tend to agree with the argument made here... but hang on a moment. It's far from watertight. 

So fine, it'd be stupid to say 'me tend to agree'; which does seem to lead to the conclusion that 'Jim and me tend to agree' should be wrong, and it ought to be 'Jim and I tend to agree'.

Right?

But who's to say that 'compound subjects' don't follow different rules? They're not exactly the same as singular ones; they're plural. It'd be equally silly to say 'Jim and I is right', or 'Jim and I am right' - it's 'Jim and I are right', right?  (Or is it 'Jim and me are right'...?)

Have a read and see what you think. 

Grammar Lesson - The Mistake That Bugs Me the Most
http://www.buildingpersonalstrength.com/2011/05/grammar-lesson-mistake-that-bugs-me.html

Robots develop language

Hasn't Cyberdyne systems already created Skynet?

Robots develop language to 'talk' to each other
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13510988

The Official Sussex Downs College Blog

Looks like I'm not the only one with the blog bug...

http://sussexdowns.blogspot.com/

Rosewarne on Estuary English

For A2s, as promised in class, here's David Rosewarne describing Estuary English in a version of his seminal article.

At the bottom of the article there's a link to the Estuary English web page that contains it - full of more info than you could ever possibly want on EE.

Rosewarne: Estuary English (1984)

I, Obama: Presidential Pronouns

Is Barack Obama the most egotistical president since Nixon? Let's look at his use of the first person pronoun, and find out. But do be careful what counts and what doesn't, eh...?

Presidential pronouns, one more time
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3155