Saturday, December 14, 2013
When I taught English as a second language a few years ago, I became aware of how difficult it is to learn correct grammar. We would see signs saying, "donuts" in lieu of "doughnuts." And people would say, "I know where it is at." No "at" necessary. Or, "I just seen her yesterday." Saw is correct. And, "He don't know nothing." Double negative. And "He went with her and myself." Should be with me. And greetings would be, "I'm fine, how about yourself?" Should be you. Lie and lay are the most misused. You lie down in the sun and you lay a book down. You do not lay in the sun. And, "He is older than me." Should be older than I am. Just some common misused everyday language. I always told my children that if they would use correct grammar and have nice manners, they would go a long way. A former teacher in English at UTC told me that many freshmen had to go into remedial classes before entering regular classes. The computer and texting have not helped, as words are combined, run together and abbreviated. Using proper grammar will help protect our wonderful American English!
MARGE McNUTT
On the evening of Nov. 21, my husband and I were headed to Illinois driving our truck with a borrowed trailer attached on Interstate 24 in downtown Chattanooga. We had been on the road for about 12 hours when we went over a bump and the trailer detached. We were able to pull over right away, but where we pulled off was right at an entrance ramp to the highway and not a lot of room to maneuver. A young man named Joe (sorry, you gave your last name but in all the commotion it was lost) backed up as he was coming onto the highway to stop and help. I scuttled over to the driver's side to inch the truck forward and back as my husband and Joe tried to get the hitch back on the truck as semis passed and made our F150 shake. It was a very scary few moments as I realized they could both be pinned between the truck and trailer. Because of your assistance we were back on the road quickly. I hope you see this letter, Joe, and know that we thank you wholeheartedly and wish you the best in your life.
MARCY MITCHELL, Springfield, Ill.
God's answer to a troubled world is Christmas. A precious baby born to die: His blood would be shed to cover mankind's sin. To all who receive God's forgiveness for their sins, Christ Jesus gives eternal life and the sure promise of Heaven. Enjoy Santa Claus, but believe in Jesus.
RACHEL DECOSIMO, Signal Mountain