"Better Middle Class"

School children whose teachers and parents berate them for saying. "It is me," "I wish I was there," and many another casual solecism, could take heart last week. Approved as good colloquial usage were 230 such commonplace errors, in a survey published by the National Council of Teachers of English. Representing 6,000 elementary, high school and college teachers, the National Council cannot enforce its edicts, but by its 21-year-old authority, its surveys and discussions, it has much influence in textbook-making, curriculum-drafting and teaching. For its study of English usage the National Council got 229 judges--authors, linguists, editors, businessmen, teachers. Both studies tended away from "an impossible literary standard'' and towards "the habits of better middle class speech." The English teachers said that they "believe, of course, in the necessity for emphasizing the correction of unmistakable errors--for which there should now be more time." In other words, in correcting themes and essays they could skip the small frequent errors which children hear at home and will hear all their "better middle class" lives. Some usages now viewed by 6,000 U. S. teachers as permissible: Who are you looking for? Invite whoever you wish. None are expected. Everyone was here but they all went home early. Healthy climate. Pretty good, awfully bad. I felt badly. Walk slow. Try and get well. He invited my friends and myself. Farther for further, shall for will. The reason was because . . . If it wasn't for football, school life would be dull.

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