Here's a quote I intend to share with my grammar class next week:
Of course, the language is under no obligation to behave according to
our expectations. The longer I study it, the more I enjoy finding out I
was wrong.
& this also relates to why I am interested in the study of grammar (Yes, I'm blending threads)...
My first real memories of studying grammar emerge from my 10th grade English class where I failed the Final Exam (the only "F" my parents had ever seen on a report card & I was 5th of 5 kids, so this was a big deal...)
I hated grammar in 10th grade because:
1) We studied unrelated sentences in a linear fashion with no relevance to real-world communication
2) There was always one and only one correct answer
3) The teacher was always right
4) The teacher explained away any idiosyncrasies with "It is _______, because I say it is"
I continued to hate grammar through several 200, 600 & 700 level classes (though I had some great teachers that planted seeds for later growth & development) & nearly turned down my first teaching job because I was expected to teach "Modern English Grammar"...
My hatred has turned to fascination as I have explored how I can make the study of grammar (both the formal rules and the more heart-connected dialectal forms) immediately applicable to my students... I try to confront the apprehension/dislike my students often express with the challenge of solving a puzzle & using the puzzle as a real-world tool...
(I too would like to see your riddles & puzzles, Joshua!)
Best,
D
David W. Marlow, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Linguistics and ESOL
Vice President/President Elect - Carolina TESOL
Founder, South Carolina Language & Life Project
University of South Carolina - Upstate
800 University Way
Spartanburg, SC 29303
864.503.5849
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig Hancock
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 2010 4:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Nominal prepositional phrases
Martha,
I used to have my own version of the absolute (PP are either
adjectival or adverbial) until you offered me the below example--I
think at one of our fine ATEG conferences. Now I hear them all the
time. "Out of bounds" is highly relevant on a golf course. Once I
heard "Where is the out of bounds?" Here's one I heard just yesterday:
"They kept me up until after midnight," where "after midnight seems to
be object of "until."
Of course, the language is under no obligation to behave according to
our expectations. The longer I study it, the more I enjoy finding out I
was wrong.
Craig>
Here's my favorite:
> Over the fence is out of bounds.
> It's not original with me. I saw it mentioned a long time ago.
>
> Martha
>
>
>
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To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
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Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
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