At 07:12 AM 11/20/2003 +1300, Angus MacSpon wrote:

This'll be my last post on this grammar debate, publicly at least.  But
since someone decided to attempt to publicly correct me, I figure I should
respond in an equally public manner to correct the correction.

The dictionary that Angus references is not entirely wrong, though his
interpretation of it is.

Funny how the illustrative quotations in the OED definition support
exactly the usage you're speaking against.  For example, from 1886:
     "Hello," smiled the Dean.
In other words, the definition in question meant exactly what I said it
did: namely, to say with a smile.

It may be bad style -- I do not argue with that.  Pretty sure you won't
me doing it.  But it is an established usage, with a fair bit of history
to it.

Cheers,
Angus

I've noticed that most arguments that degenerate over grammar tend to be 
over issues of Right/Wrong vs. Correct/Incorrect. They *are* different 
(common usage grammar vs. formal grammar), and the two parties who end up 
being the spokesmen of each point of view argue over this distinction - 
often without realizing that they are not using the same rules.

The point of language is to convey information. Grammar (as opposed to 
formal grammar) defines the currently accepted rules of the language. 
Unfortunately, language is not a static item (English being a particularly 
egregious example of a language in constant and rapid change), and the 
"rules of formal grammar" written by self-proclaimed authorities have 
always lagged well behind the common usage grammar.

Dracos, amongst others, states that "smiled" used as a speech tag is 
Incorrect. This is true according to Formal Grammar. However, his statement 
that the usage in this manner is Wrong is false.  *He* is Wrong; this usage 
conveys exactly the same information in an unambiguous manner using a 
perfectly acceptable common usage format.

"Smiled" as a speech tag is Incorrect (formal grammar) but Right (common 
usage grammar). Once the discussion had reached this point of contention, 
the proper method of resolving the conflict is to invoke the unwritten rule 
of writing: the author is correct.

P.S.  Before anyone jumps on my statement that Formal Grammar is written by 
"self proclaimed" experts, give it a moment's thought. There is NO single 
recognized authority on the definition of the English language.



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