Date:    Thu, 26 Mar 1998 08:22:47 -0500
<br>From:    "Dennis R. Preston"  preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU 
<br>Subject: Re: Banning words in class
<br>
<br>Hoo-ray fer the uther Dennis. Ban shit in the yoonivercity? Whut an idee!
<br>
<br>dInIs
<br>
<br> Sorry but I haven't been following this discussion, which I find now to be
<br> very interesting (was on spring break and just deleted all my email).  Not
<br> only do I not ban words in class, I encourage students to use words that
<br> others have banned (including ain't, other forms of to be [what would
<br> Hamlet have done without to be or not to be, that the question]; can for
<br> may, like for as, that for which. I end sentences with prepositions; and I
<br> curse wildly (I love the lesson on taboo, though I warn students that it is
<br> for mature audiences and note that I am cursing as part of a scientific
<br> study of language--as Clarence Darrow is supposed to have said, at least in
<br> Inherit the Wind, I don't curse just for the hell of it. And double
<br> negatives, hey I just love double negatives! Exclamation points, smiley
<br> faces.  Sure there's lots about language I don't like.  Like share for
<br> tell. But ban it? Hell, I hate that one so much I use it all the time.  A
<br> foolish consistency is the hobgoblin, if you ask me. Nay, I would ban
<br> banning, were I of a mind to ban.
<br> 
<br> Dennis
<br> 
<br> 
<br> Dennis Baron, Acting Head               debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uiuc.edu
<br> Department of English           phone: 217-333-2390
<br> University of Illinois          fax: 217-333-4321
<br> 608 South Wright Street
<br> Urbana, Illinois 61801   http://www.english.uiuc.edu/baron
<br>
<br>Dennis R. Preston
<br>Department of Linguistics and Languages
<br>Michigan State University
<br>East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
<br>preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot.msu.edu
<br>Office: (517)353-0740
<br>Fax: (517)432-2736
<br>