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[fiona]

I hate the loss of subject-verb agreement, but pronouns don't get to me quite as much, yet.

Grammar grouches, this is your space.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2011/12/16/pronoun-agreement-out-the-window/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

The Fiona

[lost_angeleno]

Having worked as a consultant for industry, and having worked for scientists and engineers, I can testify that syntactically competent employees are very much appreciated in the world of work, and employees who are not able to write clear and direct prose, and spell words correctly, end up either in the more routine jobs with little hope for advancement, or they're fired.

Read the business press, such as the Financial Times,  and you'll see over and over again that the heads of the best companies are demanding literate students, by which they mean clear, direct communicators. They get irritated when universities fail to graduate good writers, in whatever fields.

If we don't demand competent writing from our students, we are putting them at a serious disadvantage when they graduate and go looking for a good job.  This is an ethical issue. Do we, as one of our several tasks, help our students prepare for a good life and a good career, or do we indulge them by telling them that how they write is their personal way of expressing themselves, and shouldn't be stifled? I've heard both side argued, and I've talked with many graduates who come back after 5 or 10 years in the working world. They appreciate having been taught to write decently well, at least on the job. Off the job, they can write as they wish. And have a chance at a good life.