I received last June 28 the short feedback below from reader Jeffrey D. regarding my critiques in My Media English Watch of last week’s “disappointing flurry of English grammar errors in the major broadsheets.”
“English grammar, after all, is difficult to perfect... Who would think Philippine newspapers are exceptions to it? If newspapers would miss [proper English usage], how much more our websites? Hehehe… But it should not be an excuse, we still have to follow the rules...
“Great one, Joe, and thank you!”
My reply:
Dear Jeffrey,
You’re welcome, and thanks for the compliment about Jose Carillo’s English Forum!
You’re absolutely right in saying that English grammar is difficult to perfect, but this is precisely why I believe that we as nonnative English speakers need to make a lifelong effort to improve our English. And since the mass media—particularly print—are the country’s major purveyors not only of news and opinion but also of written English, they really should be spearheading this English-improvement effort.
I therefore think that it’s a worthwhile enterprise to keep the broadsheet writers and editors on their toes with respect to their English and, whenever they make a usage mistake, to show them how to do it right. By doing so, I hope to encourage them to continue sharpening their English and to become more credible good-English role models for their readers.
This is the reason for being of the Forum’s My Media English Watch. Some of those targeted by my critiques might scoff at the idea, of course, but what keeps me going is the fact that not a few of them actually write me privately to express their appreciation for being corrected in their English.
Once again, thanks for the compliment! I hope you could find time to visit the Forum one of these days to see if there’s anything there that might be of particular interest or use to you.
With my best wishes,
Joe Carillo
