Why do Americans insist on butchering the English language?

Question

I am an English teacher from England, teaching in Saudi Arabia. I have noticed that the Americans have very bad grammar.

For example they will say : 'did you eat'? when you should say 'have you eaten'? (because the time is unspecified). Since all Americans seem to make this mistake (using the past simple instead of the present perfect tense) should I just accept that they are speaking American (not English) and not correct them?

Answer 1

I agree. But it's too late now...Americans have really changed English. Many immigrants group have also helped shape American English.

Answer 2

Odd to see this in the R&S forum instead of the Cambridge Prick forum .... (joke)

There exists a balancing act among factors in the evolution of any language. To what extent original grammar or colloquial and vulgar usages are acceptable is not an absolute issue. There is no authority on the English language, no Ministry of English to which any of us are bound.

Language itself is an imperfect expression of deep-seated neurological metaphor. "Have you eaten" is itself inherently metaphorical - you can't "have" a past action of an unspecified time. So you argue the correct grammar is to say we can own that action and American vulgar says we do that action and both are literally incorrect - You'd never hear such a construction in German (Essen Sie?) or a tribal language.

Incidentally, a language can't be butchered and butchering is the action, where the "do" is superfluous. Also, since the action is time unspecified, ongoing in the past your question phrasing doesn't meet the standard you set out for Americans.

Edit: Incidentally, my wife studied for five years at Cesar in Riyadh. She came in speaking US southern English and left without much of an accent and having dropped a good number of slang terms and vernacular shorthand. And when she got back stateside it turns out to have been a little too much - she now has a tinge of an accenta nd says "y'all" for the second person plural pronoun because not only does it feel like home but people here find you pretentious if you're from here and then decide to speak properly - you have in essence rejected en masse a familiar relationship and formalized all your relationships. Cesar was good for her, but it's still a balancing act, you see?

Answer 3

That would be the most appropriate thing to do, although I understand it would make an English teacher cringe. But look at it this way--centuries ago when English was evolving from a hodepodge of French and Germanic language--don't you suspect that there were the non-English who hated the way the tongue was being butchered lol. It's a given that given two groups of people speaking the same language seperated by physical barriers (be it the English Channel or the Atlantic Ocean) two seperate languages will eventually evolve--given enough time. And really--we have to countries who are "best friends"--shouldn't we be unique?

Answer 4

My dear, as an English teacher, you should be acutely aware of the fact that language is an evolving entity. Americans have been evolving in a different linguistic direction for 300 years, so of course we have some differences. Language tends to evolve towards simplicity (hence the lack of weak and strong verbs, declensions, and the like) so the present perfect tense may just be going the way of the thorn and the eth. While I agree that British English is much prettier, I grow weary of the constant condescension directed at Americans for their use of language. Yes: accept that they are speaking American English.

Answer 5

My friend, one thing you need to realize is that every language is constantly changing.

Your "saint" Shakespear invented words on a whim. Is it ok for him to change the language but wrong of me? Why?

Languages change over time and "did you eat" versus "have you eaten" is a result of which is easy to say when the same encoded meaning is delievered. If I say something and you understand it, then the encoding and decoding of language has occured and it is just fine.

English isnt a "holy" language, it is a work in progress.

The day will come when "American" will split from English and be much like Spanish and Portugese or the various Slavic language which ALL have the same core.

Answer 6

A poor young man from a coal mining town in Kentucky was a straight A student and won a scholarship to Cambridge. His first day on campus he asked an upperclassman "Where's the liberry at?."

The student, son of an aristocrat, sneered back "It is not proper to end a sentence with a preposition."

The Kentuckian though for a moment and then asked "Where's the liberry at asshole?"

Answer 7

One thing that gets me really bad is when Americans refer to bands as though they are comprised of only one unit.
For instance:

Depeche Mode is the most important synthesiser band on the planet.

Instead of:

Depeche Mode are the most important synthesiser band on the planet.

I'm also highlighting something else there, sythesiser instead of synthesizer.
z instead of s, it's like fingers on a blackboard.

As for the 'UK' and 'Britain' bashing like Union Jackass etc, keep it up. The sooner this stupid union spilts the better.

Answer 8

Language is unfortunately devolving into the least common denominator as determined by popular usage. Most people do not take correction well so perhaps polite correction should be relegated to an "on request" basis.

Hope that helps.

Answer 9

I would just love to be able to always speak correct, but I can't. My first language is romanian, I started learning English when I was 10 - and it was a slow process, since I did not attend a class, I just watched non-translated cartoons.

Answer 10

No No NO!! We English have a very fine language, you should correct those who do not use it correctly. The American's have no concept of the English language, look at how they portray the English accent on their silly TV shows!

Everytime they say garbage, cookie, soda, chip, fry, etc etc you say NO and tell them how its really said!
Also if you could start correcting the way they tell the time that would be brilliant, thank-you... what on earth is a quarter off 5?