Learners often ask who is in charge of English. The answer is surprising: nobody is. English has no academy, no ministry and no final judge.
Dictionaries describe
A good dictionary records how people use words. When enough people use a word in a new way, the dictionary adds it.
Dictionaries follow the language. They do not lead it.
Style guides advise
Newspapers, universities and publishers have style guides. They decide small things: "email" or "e-mail", "Mr" or "Mr.".
Teachers and exams set standards
Exams need a clear answer, so they choose one variety and one set of conventions. That is practical, not eternal.
Usage wins in the end
If millions of speakers say something, it becomes part of the language, even if teachers dislike it.
"Nice" once meant "foolish". Words change.
What this means for you
Learn the standard for writing and exams. In speech, follow the people around you. Do not correct strangers; they are not your students.
Words to remember
- usage — the way people actually use language
- style guide — a set of rules for a publication
- convention — an agreed way of doing something
- standard — the accepted form for a purpose
Questions & answers
Q: Is the Oxford Dictionary the authority?
No. It is a record, not a rulebook.
Q: What about grammar checkers?
They help with common errors, but they are not always right and cannot judge meaning.
Q: Can a word be "not a word"?
If people use it and others understand it, it is a word. Whether it belongs in a formal essay is another question.
Q: Why do teachers correct things that native speakers say?
Because school teaches one standard. Real speech has many varieties.
Q: Will English become more or less standardised?
Probably both: global communication pushes one way, local identity pushes the other.