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Questions and Answers
What caused controversy during Barack Obama's oath of office in 2009?
What was the specific grammar issue that Chief Justice John Roberts changed in the oath of office wording?
What was the concern raised by legal scholars regarding Obama's presidency and the altered oath?
What approach to language does the text advocate for instead of prescriptivism?
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Which dialect is used as an example in the text to discuss its set of rules?
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'Literally' is defended in the text for its use in which form?
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Study Notes
- Barack Obama's oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in 2009.
- Roberts changed the wording due to a perceived grammar error, causing controversy.
- The error was splitting the verb phrase "will execute" with the adverb "faithfully."
- The change caused concern among legal scholars, who worried about Obama's presidency if the oath wasn't recited verbatim.
- The text discusses the social and cultural downsides of trying to police grammar, with examples of controversial grammar rules.
- The text argues against prescriptivism in language, and instead promotes a descriptive approach.
- African-American English (AAE) is discussed as an example of a dialect with its own set of rules.
- The text mentions the history of the rule against splitting infinitives and ending sentences with prepositions.
- The text argues that the usage of objective pronouns in conjunctive clauses is a natural inclination for English speakers.
- The text defends the figurative use of the word "literally."
- The text acknowledges the value of Standard English, but also argues against enforcing it in all contexts.
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Description
Explore the controversy surrounding a perceived grammar error in Barack Obama's 2009 oath of office administration by Chief Justice John Roberts. Delve into the debate on prescriptive versus descriptive language rules, the history of grammar rules, and examples of language variations like African-American English.
