Some of these make good sense, but a couple I disagree with. Here in the PNW, Indian Tribes and People use the term Indian. I don’t think Native American offends, but Indian definitely doesn’t. I won’t be calling a single person a ”they” instead of he or she. However, will continue to use they instead of he/she where it’s less clunky.

What happened to the term Amerind...it was to distinguish between Native Americans and Asian Indians, no? I do find Indian and Indian a tad confusing...

Amerind? That sounds like white people nonsense. Like Latinx, something Latinos would hardly ever use.

I'm happy to see the rules about using split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition leave the rule book. Avoiding using a split infinitive seemed like it resulted in some needlessly stilted sentences.

Widespread usage of variations is more indicative of the acceptance of evolving changes than is the opinion of one professor from Kansas.

So now 'good grammar' is swayed by tacky use or PC/WOKE nonsense? What's the point of a rule if it isn't to elevate ? I am not really interested in dumbing down but lazy is as lazy does. Proves the old addage "one bad apple spoils the entire barrel". The inmates are in charge. How sad for the rest of us.

Language changes constantly and the grammar changes with it. You can see that clearly simply by looking at writing samples from the 18th century, Shakespeare, and then Chaucer. It changes as people's speech changes. There's no stopping it.

Just one example of how the subjunctive has practically disappeared in English. Virtually no one today would write/say "If this be true..." We do still generally say "If I were you.." but you'd likely never hear anymore "If he were telling the truth..."

Lacey, I had never heard of the subjunctive until I took French in junior high! Now it bothers me when it should be used, but isn’t.

I still can’t remember the difference between Lie and Lay. I know they are different, I know what all the differences are, I just can’t remember which is which. I would ask for a good mnemonic, but I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Interesting info. I’m happy to read about the changes for rules of when to use whom and ending sentences with a preposition. I can’t seem to remember the rules for using whom & I’m tired of rewriting sentences to avoid ending them with prepositions. As for the singular they, I’m still struggling with that one. It’s showing up more often in letters and emails from businesses. I still find it clunky to read it in use. It registers as confusing in meaning when the topic of letter is about one person and suddenly the word ’they” is used. It stops me and I have to go back to reread the sentence to make sure I didn’t miss something.

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation...'

Yes, such woke nonsense to use they, them, etc. It's amazing such ignorance about something that has not one whit of offensiveness about usage. If you don't recognize the words, it's from the Declaration of Independence. Rights for me but not for thee.

I have no problem with ”they”, it has been around for ages, but if the singular pronoun is known, it should be used.

Clunk to avoid an ending preposition is a practice up with which I shall not put. I remember a linguist writing that his young son had no problem with ending a sentence with a preposition: at bedtime the night before, the son comlained ”what did you bring that book I didn’t want to be read to out of up here for?” Go big or go home, right?

Begining sentences with a conjunction drives me bonkers. I have found, however, that newspapers have been doing it for years. It feels cheap and sloppy.

“what did you bring that book I didn’t want to be read to out of up here for?”

Good one!

Both of my grammars died before I was born so I have no grammar rules to obey.

Check out the movie “Rebel with a Clause” - Delightful!