C e get this straigh ght DoueG OLLINS OPEN LETTER to Jessie Coddington of West Vancouver in response to Miss Coddington’s open letter to Doug Col- lins, which missive appeared in this newspaper Jan. 18 under the headline ‘‘Doug gets grammar lesson.”’ Hi Jessie! It's me, Doug: Congratulations on the speed with which you picked up an error in my column on the shortcomings of teachers, in which I wrote: “A couple of months ago, I read that one out of seven Canadian and Australian adults cannot locate their own countrics."’ As you pointed out, this should have read: ene . “oe ...we Should be on guard against bad English. This kettle agrees that the language is going to pot. It is depressing, for instance, that Masterpiece Theatre is introduced every Sunday night with these words: ‘Masterpiece Theatre is sponsored by Mobil Corporation which invites you to join them...°’’ EE “A coupte of months ago, | read that one out of seven Canadian and Australian adults cannot locate his own country.”’ Cr should it? In the strict grammatical sense, there is no doubt that you are right. But chen again I'm not quite sure. The B.C. Teachers Fedcra- tion and the North Shore Women’s Centre would condemn such pure grammar on the grounds that it is “‘sexist.’” Let’s not worry about that, though. Fashions change, an some fashions are unacceptable. Some of us will never accept the Wictic replacement of ‘‘mankind"’ by “humankind,"’ for example. Believe it or not, this old relic was aware of what he was writing when he wrote “‘their’’ instead of “*hig.*” In the first place, an argument can be made for ‘‘their,”’ since “one cut of seven’’ can constitute thousands or indeed any number. But that wasn't why I chose to go a different route. “Eais®? would have been stilted, and no one who has any respect for a great language wishes to sound like a dessicated professor, does he? “THE SUMMERLANDER” Monufoctured by tmoperial Plastics td. Summortand, B.C. VOH 120 ON DISPLAY Thursday/Jan 26; Friday/Jon 27; 11:66 to 5:00 wen BE A YEAR ROUND GARDENER WITH A SOLAR OPTIC GREENHOUSE _ THE ULTIMATE IN GREENHOUSES! Ll avelladle). Moulded from spedal formuta fiberglass. No maintenance, first cost, only cost. Has its own foundations. Heats STONG’S MARKET PARKING LOT 2491 KARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER, DUNDARAVE Can you imagine Ernest Hem- ingway writing a sentence like the one you suggest? Hemingway, the master stylist, even wrote stuff like ‘‘He did pret- ty good on that safari.’ Consider this, too: When you knock on a person’s door and someone inside the house asks “Who's there?’’, do you say ‘‘It is I’’, or “It’s me, Jessie.’’? “"t is ’ is 19th century English, the kind used by Trollope and Disraeli. The great H.L. Mencken stated that anyone who said ‘‘It is I’’ would never get past his door. That could mean: you, Jessie old girl! It is true, though, that the mat- ter of making pronouns agree with nouns can be vexing. There are such things as idiomatic preferences, you know. For example, I would prefer, with you, to say ‘‘Everybody must make his own decision.'’ But that too has become a bit stiff. Even in the [9th century people like the poct Wordsworth used ‘*everybody”’ with ‘‘their."’ Shakespeare wasn't perfect, either. In The Merchant of Venice he wrote ‘Between you and I,"' when every schoolboy knows -- or used to know — that it should be **Between you and me." So there. None of this is to say that we should not be on guard against bad English. This kettle agrees that the language is going to pot. It is depressing, for instance, that Masterpiece Theatre is introduced every Sunday night with these words: ‘‘Masterpiece Theatre is sponsored by Mabil Corporation, which invites you to join them...” How does Alistair Cooke allow it or them to say that? It gets worse. Did you know that there was a magazine called Us? Let's hope it has gone broke. About my Grade 7 English teacher. He was a he, not a she, as you suggest, and everyone leaving his class knew that ncither goes with nor, which is more than can be claimed today about Grade Seveners, or for that matter about the Grade Twelvers. P.S. I'm glad you don’t believe everything you read in the papers. Me, too! ® Keaps itself warmers in winter, cooler ta the summer. Automatically regulctes its own humdi Bilt and proven tn British Colu Grow VEGETABLES & FLOWERS YEAR ROUND 16° long, 8 wide, 8° high. Extendable in five foot incr increments (Other sizes for much fess than a conventional greenhouse. Custom moulded quality. DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER Delivered and assembled. 4 DAYS ONLY : Soturdey/Jan 28; Sunday/Jon 29 § pm 986-8925 . 9 - Wednesday, January 25, 1989 - North Shore News On the Narth Shore since 1955 [COMBINED PARTS & SERVICE ‘PARTS & SERVICE FOR MAJOR APPLIANCES Parts Dept open 900 to 550 Mon to Fri, Sat 9 to 5 Major applance in-home service 1s as near as your phone 1629 Garden Ave., North Vancouver 987-2251 Fewer dogs killed in NV TWENTY-TWO unclaimed dogs were put to sleep last year in North Vancouver City, bu: other B.C. municipalities have figures ranging in the thousands, according to SPCA superintendent J. Lawson. “The claim rates in North Van- couver run at 85 per cent — heads and tails above other municipalities,’’ he said. North Vancouver District also has low numbers of unclaimed dogs, according to Mayor Marilyn Baker Vacuum cleaner parts or bring your cleaner in for servicing 0” 6 DRAPERY AND UPHOLSTERY FABRICS — In addition both North Van- couver City and District residents take part in a program which mat- ches dogs with foster homes. Only dogs that would otherwise be put to death take part in the program. Choose from 1000's of designs & patterns SANDERSON, AFTEX ROBERT ALLEN __., WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO... 926-8819 iN-HOME SERVICE SERVING THE 1441 Clyde Ave. West Vancouver ~ BOB RANDALL Your Understanding Realtor Call me now at 984-9711 or 980-8700 SUSSEX GROUP-S.RC. REALTY CORP. 1929 LONSDALE AVENUE, NORTH VANCOUVER 980-5545 2470 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER 922-0433 Sale Date: Jan. 27-Feb. 18 *UVEGE-ONE-DAILY > 000 1, tw. 4m AA. Ch? —_— -U. .U. 25 meg A.A. Ch.* — et 50 ing 2.240 mi = Gremium 25 meg A.A. h.* — 0-2 50m 2.6 mi Digestive B-3 (Niacinamide) __ 50 mg _ 20 mS Aids Py 50 mg om Glutomic Add ___ 39mg _— — #12 $0 mg 9 mg______Bataine 30m — us —_ SO omg mg “AA. = Arming Acid Chelate Goetin 50 xg —__ 45 mg Pebo 50 ow “1. VEGE ONE DAILY. ~ \