I am responding to Linda McQueen’s column, “Mentor Our Kids, Don’t Just Criticize Them” (July 16).

Many years ago, I took a graduate course in linguistics where the instructor stated that language is a means of communication. If people use “correct” English, but are not understood by those with whom they are speaking, they are in the wrong, because they’re not communicating.

Having been told that, I still felt that there was no excuse for sloppy language. It doesn’t take any more effort to say, “I did it,” than it does to say “I done it.” It’s not necessary to correct youngsters continually, but setting a good example by speaking proper English would help them considerably. Therefore, I agree with you and Dr. Cosby.

Jeanette Kauffman