Allow me to vent on some abuses of the English language that I have been observing lately. We all make verbal gaffes from time to time, but here are a couple common ones that we should strive to eliminate.
The first derives from good intentions. We are constantly being told as kids that it isn't "Sally and me went to the store" but "Sally and I went to the store." The problem is that now people use "I" when "me" is appropriate because they think "I" sounds more educated. Example: "For Sally and I the trip to the store was enjoyable" should be "For Sally and me the trip to the store was enjoyable." Because there is a preposition ("for"), you need the objective case of the first person pronoun, i.e., "me." You would not say, "For I, the trip to the store was enjoyable."
I also hear people misuse the term "begging the question" a lot. Usually what they mean is "what you just said demands a certain question be answered." For example, "The U.S. intervention in Iraq has not been successful" demands a definition of what "successful" means. But that is not "begging the question." Begging the question is a logical fallacy in which a premise presumes the conclusion. It is thus related to circular reasoning. If I say, "Republicans shouldn't be elected because they don't deserve it" I am begging the question. Me conclusion (Republicans don't deserve to get elected) basically restates my premise (Republicans shouldn't be elected). It is akin to "I don't like that TV show because those kinds of shows are stupid." Well, why is it stupid?
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