In Context

When most people meet me, they often tell me they can’t tell I’m disabled. Sometimes, they will never notice unless I’m tired. When I need rest my brain injury often affects my speech, I tend to slur a lot of words or mumble.

To make matters worse, I have lived in the southeastern United States most of my life and I’ve developed the southern drawl. While some may find it charming, it tends to annoy me personally.

Mostly it’s because, as a former English major, being surrounded by a majority of people who speak with an accent and poor English understanding is beyond cruel and unusual punishment. My Yankee or European friends are quick to diagnose the problems.

• Lazy English
• Ebonics

If you’ve ever vacationed in the South or passed through the southeastern United States, you may have encountered a language that epitomizes the word colloquial. Y’all haven’t eva’ heard folks talk like this before. Southerners are notorious for taking words out of context and using them how the English language never intended them to be.

Context?

Context means the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

In writing it’s the use of other words in a statement that determines the proper word we use to complete an idea, this is one of the reasons the English language is so difficult to learn. Some examples are.

1. Affect or effect?
2. Accept or except?
3. Assay or Essay?
4. Board or bored?
5. To, Two or too?
6. For or four?

A quick side note about the last two examples, in the South “to” is pronounced “ta” and for is “fur” minus the animal.

• I need ta go home.
• Whatcha here fur then?

We need to be careful how we use our words, because it can change what we actually mean. While the examples above may be funny, taking words out of context can be harmful, dangerous and even illegal.

Since I live in the Bible belt, it is common for many to take Scripture out of context to use as propaganda for their own cause or desire. Below are a few examples of passages that have different meanings if read within the proper context.

• I can do all things (Philippians 4:13.)
• For I know the plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11.)
• Ask and it will be given to you (Luke 11:9.)

Be sure what you want to say and use context that supports it or what you say or write can be misinterpreted. You never really understand the power of a word until you lose the ability to say it; this lesson is a positive effect of how my disability has affected my speech.

Words?

Although English is one of the most widely used languages in the world, its constant flux in word usage makes it the craziest language. The Oxford dictionary averages 1000 new words added online every year.

That alone puts us at a learning loss, not to mention what’s become fluid rules in grammar over the years. I’ve listed a few below.

1. Don’t split infinitives.
2. Active voice verbs are preferable to passive voice verbs.
3. Never start a sentence with “and” or “but.”
4. Never start a sentence with “there is” or “there are.”
5. Never end a sentence with a preposition.[i]

Is it any wonder there’s been a rise in the use of broken English and Ebonics? Is there any hope?

One would think in this day and age with the advance of technology, proper grammar and word usage would be improving. However, in a somewhat humorous way technology has only made improper word context worse.

Speech software can only hear what we say, but artificial intelligence doesn’t understand what we are saying or how we are using our words, I’m not just referring to dictation software. Who hasn’t been the victim of AutoCorrect on a so-called “smart” device?

The use of quick and easy texting has left many recipients speechless. Numerous sitcoms have used texting misunderstandings as fuel to drive a storyline; YouTube is saturated with short skits that illustrate the danger of taking words out of con “text.” Mastering the power of the written word puts being a professional writer in context.

[i] https://theessayexpert.com/top-10-obsolete-grammar-rules-by-guest-blogger-steven-sawyer/

BIO

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic Brain Injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter @mtjohnson51.