This is largely from advice given in The Elements of Style. You are not alone in disliking it. http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497 htt

This is largely from advice given in The Elements of Style. You are not alone in disliking it. http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497 http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/2549... is a good article attacking this and other bad advice given in that book.