We have a new English trainee in the office; a pleasant, bright, confident, articulate 22 year old man who doesn’t read any fiction and who likes going out drinking with his mates. Are you getting a picture here?
Me: Do you belong to the generation of English children who were not taught grammar in school?
Him: Yes.
Me: Alas.
Him: I know we should really have been taught Latin as well.
Me: You laugh…
Him (indignantly): I am not laughing, it’s a disgrace that they don’t teach Latin in schools any more, it’s dead useful for learning grammar rules and stuff.
Me: Are you serious?
Him: Of course I’m serious. It’s a disgrace.
Me: Are you channelling my father by any chance?
I worked with a guy like that … in terms of the no-reading and drinking-with-mates thing. Not the Latin thing.