Ethos and Error: How Business People React to Errors

Adhering to conventions for mechanics and usage is just one part of writing, yet this sub-skill has long been the subject of debate--especially since the 1970s when researchers and teachers such as Mina Shaughnessy challenged the significance of error-free writing. In 1975, Isabella Halstead suggested errors should be important only in the sense that they can impede the communication of ideas (86). Not all teachers share Halstead's perspective, but this position certainly appeals to many researchers and teachers alike. Years after Halstead's suggestion, Susan Wall and Glynda Hull asked fifty-four English teachers to name what they believed to be the most serious errors and to explain why they were serious. Nearly three-quarters of the responses indicated