Thursday, September 4, 2008

Snoots Anonymous

David Foster Wallace’s article, “Tense Present” takes a look at Bryan A. Garner’s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (ADMAU). Although Wallace pokes fun at Garner, realizing how much of a word-nerd this guy is, he admits that the ADMAU is good work. Through all his digressions, rants, and raves, Wallace comes to a clear point that he makes with one of his own students. Standard Written English will always prevail. SWE is what is accepted in the professional world, and if you want to succeed in the world, use SWE.

Wallace applauds Garner on his use of rhetoric throughout the ADMAU, pointing out that the use of SWE equals authority. He uses the word authority often in the article. This made me realize how much people take grammar into consideration when it comes to being an authority figure. I do believe that grammar and usage should be used properly for the occasion, but I also believe that we should move along with the trends, using grammar, usage, slang, whatever you want to call it, as a rhetorical tool. Wallace presents this in "Tense Present;" and if anything, he displays a balance between SWE and slang that proves to us all how much of a rhetorical asset this can be.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that SWE and colloquial slang can be mixed with decent results...I'm pretty sure Wallace mentions being 'bi-dialectical' a few times. So...what do you think about grammar instruction's inclusion in secondary schools?

Steve said...

Nice, concise summary, Adam. I think he does more than admit that Garner has produced good work. He calls him a "genius"!

See Beason (our next reading) for more how how people (and not just professors) take grammar into account when they are judging others.

A.R.B. said...

I still agree with the NCTE, which if I remember right from Mulroy, stated that formal grammar instruction causes students to disengage. If I were teaching grammar to high school students I would make an effort for it to be more hands on, tailoring the instruction to the students personal needs. This is also based on my wonderful experience which I discussed in my grammography.