Quote:
Originally Posted by 4691mls
...It also says "the error is common enough for some dictionaries to record it as a more or less standard use", so I guess it must be one of those words that has been misused so many times that the incorrect use is becoming accepted.
|
That is correct, although many references do accept the use without comment. The OED says
This use is widely considered to be incorrect, esp. with a person as the subject; at least in my electronic version, and so is not dismissive of the use. And in another dictionary (published 1999) it has a note that such use in formal literature may draw disapproval from pedantic users of the language. It may be, however, that they got that wrong because it seems that it can be so even in informal use of the language.
I won't get into the reasons associated with how and why English as a living language is changing as to word use and approaches to syntax (e.g. splitting infinitives is now regarded as acceptable) - as it always has been (EDIT: apologies Harry, I think I meant
has DONE 
) - and how these differ among communities. People also now talk of children not "learning" their first language but of their "acquiring" it; the first premise of language being the transfer of information, there are no grammatical rules written in stone for achieving that. With the increasing global use of English even its deeper structures are subject to change.
I always have a giggle when someone feels free to correct the English of another in informal spaces such as a casual online forum, except perhaps when the information intended to be conveyed by the writer is unclear. But if moderators are going to continue to do so, as Harry has done, then they sure as hell are going to be very busy
.
I'll say no more as even though the rather acute detour from the original poster's thread topic was initiated by a moderator, I don't see fit to prolong the direction away from the Yotaphone myself.
Note: the above was informally thrashed out over a few moments on my keyboard, I take full responsibility for all errors, one, at least, made on purpose for flow 
.