Picky. Picky. Picky.
As I kick off my blog, I feel it's necessary to explain the name - all great names began with a great story.
Pre-AP English, 2006. As always, I've been horrified as to how far back I have to go to reach their grammatical expertise -- falling somewhere between having a simple understanding of how nouns differ from verbs but not quite reaching the level of understanding that the basic structure of a sentence rests on its subject and predicate.
Argue if you must that there is no use for teaching grammar in the 21st century. Who REALLY cares anymore? My dentist wants to "insure" my satisfaction, and CVS won't "except" Medicaid. Emailing and IMing have reduced the magnificent 'I' from a proud personal pronoun to the ranks of one-half of an indefinite pronoun looking for a 't' to make it a real word.
All I can tell you is that good writing relies on three basic principals: sentence variety and fluency, ideas expressed with voice, and word choice. (Let's just pretend that organization, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation really DON'T count). Without subordinate clauses, sentences can't be complex. So, you can't incorporate an appositive? Your ideas sound like everybody else's. And, if the verb you choose to hold together that perfect sentence belongs in the "Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Be Linking Verb Song" you learned in the second grade, then say good-bye to the "punch" you meant to make.
This morning, I scanned the 'Daily News' for sentences to use in the pop quiz. Recently, I realized that I probably needed to make a distinction between verbs and infinitives - a common error - so, I was looking for sentences that contained long verb phrases and more than one "to" plus a verb (an infinitive) to test their knowledge of the difference.
Well, there IT was - an irony beyond comprehension: "It is the policy of the Daily News to promptly correct all errors that appear." While making an effort to assure readers of accuracy, the writer (the PAID writer) did a great job exampling how good grammar isn't even important to those who make the written word a livlihood. Yes, that's right kids. It's a split infinitive!
We haven't seen the likes since Trekkies proclaimed their intention "to boldly go", but it's an error all the same.
Impressed? Neither were my students . . . the principal, the guidance counselor, the bookkeeper, the cafeteria manager, the janitor . . . however, both English teachers next door were ecstatic beyond words - I imagined they looked like two ornothologists sighting the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker for the first time in fifty years!!!
It's confirmed. English teachers really are nerds, huh?
Pre-AP English, 2006. As always, I've been horrified as to how far back I have to go to reach their grammatical expertise -- falling somewhere between having a simple understanding of how nouns differ from verbs but not quite reaching the level of understanding that the basic structure of a sentence rests on its subject and predicate.
Argue if you must that there is no use for teaching grammar in the 21st century. Who REALLY cares anymore? My dentist wants to "insure" my satisfaction, and CVS won't "except" Medicaid. Emailing and IMing have reduced the magnificent 'I' from a proud personal pronoun to the ranks of one-half of an indefinite pronoun looking for a 't' to make it a real word.
All I can tell you is that good writing relies on three basic principals: sentence variety and fluency, ideas expressed with voice, and word choice. (Let's just pretend that organization, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation really DON'T count). Without subordinate clauses, sentences can't be complex. So, you can't incorporate an appositive? Your ideas sound like everybody else's. And, if the verb you choose to hold together that perfect sentence belongs in the "Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Be Linking Verb Song" you learned in the second grade, then say good-bye to the "punch" you meant to make.
This morning, I scanned the 'Daily News' for sentences to use in the pop quiz. Recently, I realized that I probably needed to make a distinction between verbs and infinitives - a common error - so, I was looking for sentences that contained long verb phrases and more than one "to" plus a verb (an infinitive) to test their knowledge of the difference.
Well, there IT was - an irony beyond comprehension: "It is the policy of the Daily News to promptly correct all errors that appear." While making an effort to assure readers of accuracy, the writer (the PAID writer) did a great job exampling how good grammar isn't even important to those who make the written word a livlihood. Yes, that's right kids. It's a split infinitive!
We haven't seen the likes since Trekkies proclaimed their intention "to boldly go", but it's an error all the same.
Impressed? Neither were my students . . . the principal, the guidance counselor, the bookkeeper, the cafeteria manager, the janitor . . . however, both English teachers next door were ecstatic beyond words - I imagined they looked like two ornothologists sighting the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker for the first time in fifty years!!!
It's confirmed. English teachers really are nerds, huh?
posted by Lynnie at 9:51 PM
2 Comments:
Lynette,
Congratulations on your accomplishments: National Board Certified Teacher, College Board consultant, Fullbright Memorial Exchange teacher, and now working on a Masters program. The people of Guam are honored to have had you as a student in our school system. I know you can go farther and will excel in all your endeavors. Proud to be a friend of yours from the island of Guam.
As one of the two nerdy English teachers next door, I must say I loved your ornothologist simile!
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