I almost said, "So we don't forget," but realized that was a poor answer. I thought for a moment about that essay in the textbook and then said, "To communicate a thought or an idea to someone else."
Students seated around me raised eyebrows at that answer. Most of them would have given my first answer. Miss Cahill's lips twitched a bit. She was working hard to keep that stern expression.
"Alright, you want to communicate a thought or an idea to someone else. Does it matter at all if that thought or idea is expressed clearly?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered.
"How would you know if you have expressed yourself clearly, then, if you don't know the rules for doing so?" She raised an eyebrow as she delivered that question. She then addressed the entire class. "How many of you plan to a
