Track Changes and Grammar

You must be wondering what is the relationship between track changes and grammar. Then you must also wonder what 'track changes' am I referring to. Spare me a couple of minutes and you will understand.

'Track Changes' refers to a tool in Microsoft Word. I am not sure if it is available in other MS Office tools, like Excel or Powerpoint. I have so far witnessed its 'power' only in Word. Basically, it allows a reader to make amendments to a document and all its amendments can be shown clearly, ie deletions will be shown as strikeouts on the original portions while additions would be highlighted in usually red, underlined font. Even changes in formatting can be shown clearly via a comment box at the side of the paragraph.

'Track Changes' was a common tool used at my previous office. Often, a document has to be 'stamped' by all the relevant parties before it could be published. As it routed through different hands, 'track changes' was used to mark their 'territories' (places where they have amended to show that they have read the document).

Personally, I still feel that it is an extremely unfriendly, though effective, function. Much of it could be due to the fact that I have suffered numerous 'paper scolding' from all these changes. Sometimes, when I opened up an amended document (after it has gone its 'rounds'), I nearly fell off my chair looking at the sea of red. Often, the sea of red represented corrections over my grammar.

Two days ago, my friend recounted that she has just suffered a similar fate. The day after, I saw an article about an initiative to drive grammar studies back to school. What a coincidence! I fully support this initiative.

I confess I may be a little slip-shod at times when it comes to writing with as correct as possible grammar. Perhaps you have already noticed from the incorrect grammar that may be very prevalent in my blog. *Sheepish Grin.* It is not a deliberate oversight. It is often my own bafflement with what should be the correct grammar. I am not being humble. Neither am I cracking a joke. I am sometimes confused with the tense that I should be using for reported speech. To-date, I have yet to solve the 'mystery'.

Let me ask you. Should it be:

"He said she go to the library."? or
"He said she went to the library."?

I opted for the former. I vaguely recalled my primary school teacher mentioning that the tense in a reported speech should always be present. Yet, often the 'track changes' which I have received reflected the latter. Eventually, I have just used the latter in all my documents.

Perhaps the initiative to introduce grammar back to curriculum should be extended, so that working adults like us can be given a second chance to be reacquainted with grammar.