Well, I can tell you as someone who has spent a good bit of time writing and editing that highly intelligent people can and do make a lot of grammatical mistakes, even in books that they work on for months. That's why we have editors who are specialists in grammar and style.[/quote]14 errors in 5 paragraphs? That seems like a lot. Did you even read the analysis? These are not simply typos and dangling participles.Estonut wrote: These errors were first noted by another PhD.
I'd like to see other samples of her writing.[/quote]
I did look at the article, and I would agree that the letter could have been better edited. But I've also seen textbooks I've worked on that have had three people with Masters or higher degrees spend months writing, editing, and reviewing which were then submitted to an independent copywriter who found additional mistakes. It happens. Read the posts around here and you'll find similar errors. I wouldn't call using the phrase "opportune moment" something that only an unintelligent person would use, but, rather, something that a trained editor would probably change. I doubt Dr. Ford had a trained editor look at the letter before sending it off.
The proper use of grammar and style isn't something that comes naturally to a lot of highly educated, intelligent people because it's something that requires care and reflection about each sentence and paragraph. People writing about a very painful moment in their lives aren't likely to give such writing the same care and attention to detail that a trained editor would. That's why if Dr. Ford wrote a memoir about her experience, it would be better edited by a professional publishing house.
