You may recall that neoclassical writers Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson were concerned about preserving the English language, which they believed was in a state of constant deterioration. Earlier in this unit, you completed an activity in which you analyzed language rules and related questions of usage. In this task, you will choose a common topic related to language usage and grammar, examine it in detail, and write a short essay to present your findings.

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15 September, 08:55

You may recall that neoclassical writers Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson were concerned about preserving the English language, which they believed was in a state of constant deterioration. Earlier in this unit, you completed an activity in which you analyzed language rules and related questions of usage. In this task, you will choose a common topic related to language usage and grammar, examine it in detail, and write a short essay to present your findings.

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Julie Larson · Answer 1

It could be interesting to talk about slang for this essay. In regard to language usage, slang is rather common--f rom simple contractions ("ain't" instead of "is not") to full phrases (I'm woke). However, in regard to grammar, slang is technically incorrect--you would never use these words in a formal essay, for example. You could explore these contradictions (the fact that slang is used so commonly but is apparently grammatically incorrect) in your essay.