Grammar Experts Weigh In on the Tweeter in Chief

 

On May 25 of this year, Donald Trump took to Twitter to attempt a swipe at Senator Mark Warner of TK: "Their is nothing bipartisan about him," Trump tweeted. It wasn't the first time the man tasked with representing the American people so thoroughly exposed his poor language skills. And heaven knows it won't be the last. But it marked the first time grammar and legal writing expert Bryan Garner, author of Garner's Modern American Usage, could no longer hold his tongue.

"You mean 'There is nothing bipartisan about him.' Not 'their,' which is the possessive form of 'they.' Wouldn’t it be worth $75,000 a year to pay for a Presidential Proofreader so that you’ll have the semblance of literacy?" Garner replied.

Lexicographers, copy editors and grammar experts face an unprecedented dilemma in the tweeter in chief. Do you make an issue of Trump's egregious language gaffes that degrade the office and swipe at the dignity of the United States of America? Or do you let it slide? For most language experts, the latter is often the best course simply because pointing out Trump's shameful gaffes would eat up hours every week. But with just a little prompting, you can get Twitter's greatest language experts—including Mary Norris, Peter Sokolowski, Kory Stamper, Jonathon Owen and Garner—to let loose. The New York Times did just that, and the results are glorious.  Pour yourself a hot cup of covfefe and check it out.

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