Throughout elementary school, I — like many others — was taught to say “John and I went to the store,” and not “me and John.” You shouldn't say “I ated the sandwich” or forget that you’re you (and that’s your bag). And never, ever start a sentence with a conjunction.
Turns out, whether we like to admit it, we all make “mistakes.” Numerous grammatical errors have been made since we began in utero, the time in which we were to learn language. Amazingly, some linguists say our tiny baby brains were so smart that they were primed for language learning — we never really needed our parents to teach us language in the first place (Sorry, Mom and Dad!).
Language is a hard thing to understand, whether you’re a native speaker or a second- or third-language learner. The fact that you made a mistake grammatically doesn’t make you dumber for not knowing or remembering these things automatically.
For example, did you know it’s a common linguistic phenomenon to drop -g and -r sounds at the ends of words? This happens when a language changes, and it’s happening every day. You’ll hear it a lot in different American English and British English dialects, as well as in numerous Creole languages. Contrary to popular belief, these phenomena don’t occur out of laziness or lack of intelligence. Words and sounds change all the time, and if you listen for it, I promise that you ain’t eva gonna miss anotha r-deletion or g-drop again.
Ever write a paper and forget to add the plural marker, -s, to a random noun and marvel at why you would forget something so simple? Or did you freak out and wonder if you even needed it at all? (Do you say porcupines or porcupi?)
When we write people off based on how they speak, we assume their grasp on language determines their intelligence or self-worth. But even as a linguistics and English major, I find myself making language mistakes that others might assume I’d never make.
I’ve edited this piece at least four times, and there’s a team of kick-ass copy editors who are going to correct this column another five. I’m keenly aware of my small grasp on the English grammar system, and linguists are still studying it in addition to other languages. I also know this doesn’t define me. When I mess up spelling “probably” or “restaurant” for the umpteenth time and forget to use the correct contraction when I’m texting, I’m reassured by the fact that grammar mistakes are common. It’s like breathing — everybody does it.
As there should be no shame in eating as many tacos as possible on Taco Tuesdays, there should be no shame in making grammar mistakes. It’s what makes us human. If you’re uncomfortable with your friends because they still don’t know how to use the correct “there” (Their? They’re? Thair??) or get squeamish when they drop a –g every now and again, then you might actually be the one missing out. I say this because if someone’s language use is stopping you from concentrating on what he or she is actually saying, then I’m betting you have been missing out on some really good conversations.
Language is hard and weird and unpredictable, which is why I think it works so well. If we knew everything about language, we would have contacted aliens, and I wouldn’t have a job at the Alligator as a copy editor. I also wouldn’t be able to study linguistics, which means I wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn and share any of these cool things about language with all of you. So maybe there’s something to be said for not giving a f--- when you forget which witch is ‘wich. Everybody makes mistakes, am I write?
Kaelah Scheff is a UF English and linguistics senior.
