I do the same whenever I see people use "impact" as a verb, particularly university administrators. As Calvin observed to Hobbes, "Verbing weirds language."
I think about verbing whenever I microwave my leftovers.
Using nouns as verbs is fairly typical in language. I think it offends when the speaker/writer could have chosen a more suitable, actual verb instead of force-fitting another part of speech into the verb role. People who use "impact" as a verb typically do it in place of "has an impact upon", e.g., "teaching impacts learning". But "teaching affects learning" is probably what they meant.
I'd be happy if students and colleagues alike would use hard returns appropriately... using them to separate paragraphs (or using an indent). I hate hate hate it when there is no indication of where a paragraph begins and the entire paper appears as one long paragraph. Try reading lengthy grant proposals prepared in this manner.
And then there's the one I fear we composition teachers actually helped create, or at least spread, by teaching logical fallacies: "beg the question" =/= "raise the question," but I hear it used that way regularly, even on NPR. Apparently the phrase stuck in students' memories, but not the meaning, so they just use it to mean what they think it should mean.
@CC: I typed my comment in Word, chose "insert character," selected the "not equals" sign, and then copied and pasted my comment here. If there's a more direct method, I don't know it. And I can't do it on a phone.
@OPH: A specie of currency? Okay. But I think my students are just overcorrecting.
@Frod and Ben: Sometimes I'd like to impact the admins. Does that weird me?
I have no doubt that your students are hypercorrecting. It would be incorrect to say "Lithobates pipiens is a specie of frog." But I think it would be (at least grammatically) OK to say "The US has transitioned to a specie primarily of zinc."
I like the Allie Brosh reference. Brilliantly funny woman. Also (sadly) a brilliantly accurate chronicler of depression.
ReplyDelete<3 <3 <3 Allie Brosh.
DeleteSoooo. great.
DeleteALOT NO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SHARING FEELINGS WITH
ALOT JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE
Decent ≠ descent.
ReplyDeleteSite ≠ cite ≠ sight.
And there is no such thing as a “specie.”
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDon't get me started on cite vs. site (or, for that matter, on cite vs. quote. I've already given up entirely on quote vs. quotation).
DeleteMy main battle these days:
"research" = n or v
"researches" = v only (use "studies" if you need a pluralizable noun)
This used to be an ESL/L2 learner problem. Now it's just a problem.
bias ≠ biased
Deletebased off ≠ based on
"Eh prof" ≠ "Dear Professor Bow"
councilor ≠ counselor
Deletehone in ≠ home in
"A specie" could refer to a specific type of currency.
I become a ravenous alot monster when I see people use "female" as a noun and "woman" as an adjective. RAAAAWWWWWRRRRR
ReplyDeleteI do the same whenever I see people use "impact" as a verb, particularly university administrators. As Calvin observed to Hobbes, "Verbing weirds language."
DeleteI think about verbing whenever I microwave my leftovers.
DeleteUsing nouns as verbs is fairly typical in language. I think it offends when the speaker/writer could have chosen a more suitable, actual verb instead of force-fitting another part of speech into the verb role. People who use "impact" as a verb typically do it in place of "has an impact upon", e.g., "teaching impacts learning". But "teaching affects learning" is probably what they meant.
And that reminds me:
affect ≠ effect
I think the ship has sailed on impact. It has been used as a verb for too many decades at this point.
DeleteIn other news, business speak is truly terrible.
I'd be happy if students and colleagues alike would use hard returns appropriately... using them to separate paragraphs (or using an indent). I hate hate hate it when there is no indication of where a paragraph begins and the entire paper appears as one long paragraph. Try reading lengthy grant proposals prepared in this manner.
ReplyDeleteYes, it sucketh greatly.
DeleteInstead of being picky about which words our admins use, I wish they would just shut the hell up entirely and leave me alone.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's the one I fear we composition teachers actually helped create, or at least spread, by teaching logical fallacies: "beg the question" =/= "raise the question," but I hear it used that way regularly, even on NPR. Apparently the phrase stuck in students' memories, but not the meaning, so they just use it to mean what they think it should mean.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm impressed by those who know how to type an actual "does not equal" sign, rather than the workaround I used above.
Delete@CC: I typed my comment in Word, chose "insert character," selected the "not equals" sign, and then copied and pasted my comment here. If there's a more direct method, I don't know it. And I can't do it on a phone.
ReplyDelete@OPH: A specie of currency? Okay. But I think my students are just overcorrecting.
@Frod and Ben: Sometimes I'd like to impact the admins. Does that weird me?
I have no doubt that your students are hypercorrecting. It would be incorrect to say "Lithobates pipiens is a specie of frog." But I think it would be (at least grammatically) OK to say "The US has transitioned to a specie primarily of zinc."
Delete