BBC should mind the gap -- in grammar

London -- An open letter to the BBC trust chair, Michael Lyons, will argue the BBC should appoint a language director to monitor grammatical mistakes.

Critics claim the increasing use of colloquialisms, misused words and grammatical errors is ruining the reputation of the BBC as a mainstay of the Queen’s English, The Observer reported Sunday.

Parliamentarian Ann Widdecombe, a cosigner of the letter, proposed the use of a bank of volunteers to monitor the BBC for grammar and vocabulary mistakes. Broadcasters would then receive notification through a central adviser of their errors.

The BBC admits its grammatical guidelines are not enforced. The broadcaster has a department to police punctuation, but not vocabulary or grammar.

© 2007 United Press International.