A language, then, is not a single, monolithic, unvarying system, but a collection of closely related varieties. The notion of ‘correctness’ that is fostered by popular linguistic lore, and all too often by our educational traditions as well, is too crude a conception to be of much use when we start to study language methodically. ‘Correctness’ carries with it a sense of rigidity and absolute standards; some form of expression is judged to be right or wrong once and for all. If we replace this notion with the more flexible one of appropriateness, we shall be able to save everything that is worth saving from the doctrine of correctness, but at the same time recognize the variability of language. What is appropriate to one set of circumstances may be inappropriate to another. There are no standards of correctness apart from the actual usage of those who speak the language, and these usages are not fixed. (Also
see descriptive in the glossary.)