kata ta biblia

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"Just" grammar?

My friend Matt, who happens to be a PhD student in New Testament studies at Fuller Seminary, and has been a TA for two of my classes now, has a strong opinion about the word “just.” He handed out a list of “Things to Avoid” to the class and this was at the top of the list:

Do not use the word “just” improperly. It should only be used in academic writing as a synonym of “righteous” or the like.

How did I go my whole life without getting this instruction? I actually forgot about the advice until I got my paper back from last quarter’s class and he had pointed out a few instances of my incorrect usage of the word “just.” What I’m wondering (and I’m sure he will read this and want to weigh in) is whether this truly is a hard and fast grammatical rule. Just from a cursory glance at various dictionaries via dictionary.com, most have the “improper” (as Matt understands it) uses of “just” listed under its adverbial usage. Through our library databases, I checked out “just” as an adverb in the Oxford English Dictionary (what’s more authoritative than that?). The OED agrees with the other dictionaries. None of these have usage notes like you would find for such contemptible grammatical mistakes as “irregardless” and the like. Cannot “just” be used with the meanings: “exactly, precisely; verily, actually; closely” or “in like manner” or “merely”? What’s the rule? Is “just” no longer an adverb in academic writing?

Sorry to put you on the spot, Matt!

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4 Comments by Patrick George McCullough  /  April 10, 2007  /  Posted in: english grammar
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  • J. Matthew Barnes

    This emphasis of mine comes from a literature and religion professor at Baylor named Ralph Wood. He says that just is not precise enough for academic writing, and I tend to agree.

    Or, to put it a different way, since he marked me for it and it helped my writing be more precise, I want to extend the same favor to students whose papers I have the privilege to grade!

  • Patrick George McCullough

    So it is for precision’s sake that we try not to utilize the overly-broad adverbial usage of “just” in academic writing. That makes sense, since scholarship is largely about being precise, making clear distinctions, etc. That’s a helpful thought. I think you should include that in your instructions for “things to avoid.”

    There are so many other words and phrases that should be reevaluated as well. I often make use of the thesaurus while I’m writing, not to pick a word that is bigger and sounds more intelligent, but usually to remind myself of more appropriate words for that particular context.

  • J. Matthew Barnes

    After I read this entry I then emailed Dr. Wood to see if there was something else that I was missing other than the preciseness thing. If and when he responds I’ll let you know.

    I do know that there is one other thing that he didn’t like about “just,” even though it doesn’t have to do with academic writing. We each were given the opportunity to lead the opening prayer of the class twice during the semester and we could not use the word “just” at all. He said that it was overused by Evangelicals and, thus, should be avoided.

    You know what I mean: “God, I just come to you today to just ask you to just bless me and my family and just teach us to just follow your ways…” Ugh. It’s like “just” stands in for “like,” “um,” and “uh.”

    Good thing God can overlook grammar in our prayers (we hope!)!

  • Patrick George McCullough

    Now we get to the bottom of it: it’s the fault of Evangelical Christianity!! Such is everything ;)