Hi Goodman,
Maybe I should not touch your nerve again - You are so
expressive and I am scared! (for your heart and for my embarrassment).![Smile [:)]](/emoticons/emotion-1.gif)
However, I must present my thought to find out what is wrong
with it. Here I come.
I haven’t been myself since yesterday. Yesterday marks a complete past.
I haven’t been myself since I met you. Met
marks a complete past.
Today is 11/22/2007. Two
days ago means 11/20/2007, which marks a complete past. Thus, ‘I haven’t
been myself since 11/20/2007’ is the same as ‘I haven’t been myself since two
days ago.”
That is where my brain becomes confused with your reasoning.
Now regarding your comment about native people might not be
better than non-natives in using good English – I understand why you said that:
the seemingly biased view causes pain to people who do not belong to the regarded
circle. However, we must accept the fact that “perfection is the result of
constant use.” (Of course, constantly use in a wrong way will form a bad habit).
When ESL learners come to forums like this, with fresh learning, they want a
confirmation of people who they trust to take them to the next plateau of
knowledge; and they rely on native, know-best, English teachers. I am one of
them! (not the teacher, but the learner - mind you). It is up to each learner to ask,
validate, and ask again. Knowledge seekers are smart people, they will form
their own opinion about a forum debate. And if a non-native English speaker like
you can regularly give the information seekers sensible GOOD ENGLISH answers, I think you
would establish a good image for yourself.
Here is what Edward D Goodman, an excellent writer, editor,
and a scholar in my eye, writes, “ … good
English is a kind of snobbery, It is not standard English but the English
of a minority who are likely to consider themselves superior, and are also
likely to be considered superior by others. English that is good enough in one
context may not be good enough in another, and thus good English amounts to savor faire, a touchstone of the snob.
All of us fail to use it occasionally, and some of us fail to use it frequently.
Those who fail infrequently look down on those who fail frequently; those who
fail frequently either live in constant fear of embarrassing themselves or find
some way of taking pride in their unvarnished expression. Those who fail
infrequently make further distinctions among themselves; the famous grammarian
H.W.Fowler observed, “Almost every man is potentially a purist and a sloven at
once to persons looking at him from a lower and a higher position …. than his
own.”” I don't quite grasp what is in his mind - but I sure want to climb the knowledge hill and find the pleasure in use the language,
I am still wondering why Clive though Anon was me! I take
that as a complement for a uniqueness of my writing style, which I don’t even
know I have one.
Best to all,
Hoa Thai