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The Debate on Language "Correctness," Prologue

The matter of "correctness" in the English language, whether through speech or prose, is not necessarily one of whether or not we habitually make errors, or how often. Between Strunk-and-White regulation and postmodern detachment, these very sentences before your eyes can be identified as veritable mine fields of linguistic mishaps. For instance, I cannot be completely certain whether the term "mine field" is meant to be written as one word or two. Other readers may simply object to my relative verbosity. I would suppose that the primary source of argument derives from the increasingly separate entities of Text and Context.

How to define these areas? How to differentiate between the former and the latter? Such a multifaceted query would need more time dedicated to it, but there is a discernible difference in conversational tone. Text denotes its obvious image, inscribed in our guidebooks and in our societal conscious. Context, of course, has gradually evolved from its stricter half-sibling and occasionally goes unnoticed in routine interaction. If this is indeed the present case, one must consider: Which technique -- Text or Context -- is more comfortable to the writer? To the public speaker? To the introvert? To the extrovert? I intend to relate these particular factors and this discussion as a whole in several chapters, as new ruminations arise. In addition, I hope my observations will be bolstered by shared opinion amongst some fascinated individuals/bloggers.

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