Junior Vocab
Understanding Correctness in Language
Ananya: "Ravi, you wrote ‘colour’ with a U. Ma’am said we must write ‘color’ without it."
Ravi: "But my story is about Diwali at Paati’s house in Chennai. Paati writes ‘colour’ with a U in her letters."
Ananya: "In our English notebook, we have to follow the textbook. That’s the correct way."
Ravi: "But Paati’s English is also correct. She was an English teacher!"
Amma: "What’s happening here, you two? You look more serious than the maths test."
Ananya:correctness." "Amma, I’m helping Ravi fix his spelling. It’s about
Ravi: "But Amma, whose correctness? Paati’s ‘colour’ or Ma’am’s ‘color’?"
Amma: "Hmm, like how some people say ‘idli’ and some say ‘iddly’, but we still eat the same soft thing with chutney."
Ravi: "So both spellings are like two kinds of chutney?"
Amma: "Yes. For school, Ma’am’s spelling is the correctness you follow. For Paati’s letters, you can use her way."
Ananya: "Oh… so correctness can depend on the place and the rule?"
Ravi: "Then in this notebook, I’ll use Ma’am’s correctness. In my Diwali card for Paati, I’ll keep the U."
Amma: "That sounds perfectly correct for both of you."