Correctness in Perspective

First, I appreciate grammatically correct writing. I believe in knowing the rules of professional presentation. I don’t think, however, that correctness is what student writers should value above all else. It follows that I don’t think writing professors who grade these students should prize correctness above all else. If I went to a foreign country to learn to speak a new language and people corrected each and every utterance I tried, I would have a pretty terrible time. Luckily, I think most sensible people know that a person learning a new language is going to pick up more and more just by being in the new environment, so they react appropriately. Sadly, because writing professors give grades, at times they get this wrong.

I did not become an English professor in order to grade anybody’s grammar, spelling, or punctuation. That would be like saying a race car driver likes to drive fast cars because of the paint on them. I like words because they make up powerful ideas. But when I tell people I am an English professor they frequently fear I will start to correct their language, either to their faces or in my head.

Once at the gym I asked my trainer how he was doing. He said, “I’m good. I mean, I’m well.” He handed me something heavy to lift and added, “Wait, why is it wrong to say I’m doing good? Can I say I feel good, or am I supposed to say I feel well?”

I have a Ph.D. in English and these questions overwhelmed me, especially while doing shoulder presses. I said, “I’m an English professor because I love literature not grammar. People use a lot more grammar correctly than they even understand.” After training, upon reflection, I thought my answer did not represent me very well.

When I got to my office, I took down a few reference books from the shelves, found some information, and sent my trainer this long, professorial text:

"FYI, per your earlier question I didn’t answer well, a person can say 'I feel good' because 'good' functions as an adjective of the subject, 'I.' Apparently, in that case, 'feel' is a linking verb because it relates the subject to its complement. If a person says, 'I am doing good,' that is incorrect because 'doing' requires an adverb. Hence, 'I am doing well' is correct. However, it is also right to say 'I feel well' because according to my source here, 'well' functions as an adjective when it means healthy. Nobody has ever declared it is okay for 'doing' to also sometimes function as a linking verb. If that battle is ever waged and won, the answer will be different. And so you see it bugged me that I didn’t know the complete answer to your question, but now that I do, I don’t feel bad about it. And to feel badly about it with an adverb would be wrong. This is why there are editors, btw."

He texted back, “Thank you haha. That was a wonderful explanation and I will never forget that piece of knowledge.” This was kind of him to say. I felt quite satisfied with my new knowledge myself and I am sure I held onto it with precision for a couple of weeks, but after that it was gone. I had to look up that text to write this.

What is the moral of this blog? Understand language is a complex, living thing and the official rules have changed and will change. So, keep correctness in perspective. It’s the paint on the race car, not the engine.

Thought experiment: If ten people develop fast race cars, and they bring them to a track to demonstrate their power to each other, how many in ten are going to want the paint job on the car to be as good as its engine? Why?