Quote:
|
Originally Posted by onesnowyowl
Yes, this is more of an etiquette question than a grammar question, as none of the grammar or writing classes I've had to take (and as an English major I've had to take more than a few) have dealt with this subject. I think the only class that might mention this is business writing or technical writing, both of which teach students how to draft business-oriented correspondence.
|
I didn't want to get too technical, but willravel's problem was essentially a problem of grammar that would cause an etiquette problem: it is basically a case of subject confusion. It is rooted in the syntax of the phrasing (syntax refers to order of words and other parts of a phrase, ordered logically to attain certain meaning). In this case, the syntax confusion occurs when we are uncertain of John's last name because it doesn't appear directly after his first name. And with the wrong phrasing, his last name will appear to be the exact same as Jane's. To avoid this is a logical problem (i.e. a problem of grammar).
Now if you meant it was mainly a question of etiquette because of the consequences of being incorrect, then fine, I agree with that.
But for the record, willravel was recruiting grammar nazis.