Five English language myths busted

Severe Covid infection results in preterm births

Clearing up some of the common falsies surrounding the world's most popular language

Ateam of researchers has discovered that the more severely a mother is infected with Covid-19, the more likely she is to experience preterm birth. The researchers reported that the rate of preterm birth in nearly 1,000 pregnant women, who tested positive for SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was a function of the severity of infection.

"The more severe the SARSCoV-2 infection, the greater the risk of preterm birth," said researcher Roberto Romero from the Wayne State University School of Medicine in the US. "There was a dose-dependent relationship between the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the risk of prematurity," Romero added.

For the study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the team included data from 14 National Health Service (NHS) maternity hospitals in the UK to assess the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy.

The more severe the Covid-19 infection, the greater the risk of a sudden increase in blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy. The condition is responsible for 76,000 maternal deaths and more than 5,00,000 infant deaths every year. —IANS

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espite having a basic knowledge of English, many people still make mistakes while reading, writing, and speaking it. So with that in mind, here's debunking five major myths about English.

Grammar and standard English grammar are the same thing

Despite what some would argue, it is not contradictory to advocate for teaching grammar and standard English to be presented simply as one variety. It is just as valid to tell a child that "were" in the non-standard clause "I were" is a verb, as it is to point to "was" in the standard clause "I was".

There is only one standard English

English is a global language. And precisely because of this worldwide spread, there are several different standard forms, including standard Scottish, Australian and American English. A New Yorker, for example, who moves to London may well say "gotten" instead of "got".

Standard English is highly codified in grammar books and dictionaries and used especially in formal writing.

Only standard English has clear rules

Some critics defend standard English by stating, essentially, that its rules are crucial for people to understand each other. However, nonstandard varieties of the English language also have grammatical rules.

With an astounding 1.132 million speakers, English is the most spoken language in the world.

You need standard English to think straight

Elitist and classist, this fifth myth around English perfectly encapsulates why treating all dialects nonjudgmentally is vital. Educational linguists agree that presenting it as the only correct way to communicate is humiliating. It can discourage students from engaging fully in education.

Standard English and Received Pronunciation are the same thing

Standard English is not about speaking in a posh accent. Linguists concur that anyone who speaks in the accent known as received pronunciation (RP) will also use the words and grammar that make up standard English. However, not all speakers of standard English have the same accent. —PTI