I once knew a college teacher who took points off if a student began a sentence with a preposition. In other words, this very sentence would have cost some poor kid five points. An elementary school teacher once told me one shouldn't begin a sentence with "so," to which I, being a smart-ass, responded: "So many people came to the meeting that extra chairs had to be provided." A fellow writer once informed me that I shouldn't use adjectives when I write. Another inveighed against any adverb ending in "-ly."
People get strange ideas about grammar and style. Some of the ideas are left-over old-fashioned ditcta based on Latin grammatical analysis, but others are just plain screwy. I think that basically people are seeking an easy way out, an iron-clad list of '"do nots." But rather than crucify the language, I think people should embrace it. They should learn how it actually works, the system of it, which is really quite rational.
But then, you've already figured me out. I'm a linguist through and through.
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