Summary
CHRIS Parton's letter (July 1) appears to contain the following argument: since those who try to write clearly sometimes fail to achieve clarity, and since perfect clarity may not be achievable anyway, then we should give up on attempting to instil precision in the use of language. That's like arguing that, since perfect and permanent health isn't achievable, we needn't trouble about smoking 80 cigarettes a day.
He invites us to see changes deplored by other contributors to this debate as mere "linguistic evolution". But one of the reasons language changes is that some people, in their ignorance, misuse words, and then there often arises a period of confusion in which one simply does not know what is meant. Someone started to use "disinterested" where they should have used "uninterested"; it caught on to some extent. Now, if a student writes in a questionnaire: "My tutor was disinterested, " I don't know whether the student is complaining that the tutor showed no interest in what she was supposed to be doing or whether the student means that the tutor commendably set aside her private goals and likings.See the full content of this document
Extract
Precision in Language Adds to Clarity of Meaning
"Smith was substituted for Jones" used to mean that Smith came on in pl...
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