NOTIZIE DAL MONDO DELLA TRADUZIONE

Some languages, like French, have an official body that decides how words can and cannot be used. English, as a flexible, global language, has no such designated referee. Therefore, there is no definitive answer to whether you're using a word "correctly." It's all a matter of taste and context. But there are opinions. And some count more than others.
Steven Pinker is probably as good an expert to ask as anyone. Helpfully, the renowned Harvard linguist and best-selling author recently wrote a book, titled "The Sense of Style," that aims to help readers improve their use of the English language. If you're in the market for an update to , old Strunk and White, it's probably a good buy. But if you just want to spot-check that you've not been making embarrassing language mistakes for years, a monster list of 58 commonly misused phrases covered in the book that recently appeared in the UK's Independent newspaper is probably a good place to start.

>LEGGI TUTTO

If not universal grammar, then what? We know language uses a lot of mental processes that are not unique to language, such as memory, categorisation and forming analogies. For example, when a child says, “We holded it,” they have made an analogy to past tense verbs with the regular -ed ending. These kinds of mistakes give us vital clues to the mechanisms children are using to build their language. Acknowledging that much of language uses the same process as the rest of cognition, a new branch of linguistics has developed from those principles. This can’t be the whole story, however. The limitation of this approach is that although these processes are not unique to language, they are not unique to our species either. For example, chinchillas can form categories based on speech, yet clearly lack anything like human language. So what is going on?

Whether you're trying to sound sophisticated or simply repeating what you've heard, word fails are all too common and can make smart people sound dumb.

In his latest book, "The Sense of Style," Harvard cognitive scientist and linguist Steven Pinker explores the most common words and phrases that people stumble over.

The book is like a modern version of Strunk and White's classic "The Elements of Style," but one based on linguistics and updated for the 21st century.

Since there is no definitive body governing the rules of the English language like there is for the French language, for example, matters of style and grammar have always remained relatively debatable. Pinker's rules and preferences are no different, but the majority of the words and phrases he identifies are agreed upon and can help your writing and speaking.

We've highlighted the most common mistakes according to Pinker using examples directly from his book along with some of our own.