B is only possible if surprised functions as an adjective, but in this clause it can function as a verb.  The question is unfair for 8th graders as a multiple choice item.
________________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Scott Catledge <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 6:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: ATEG Digest - 9 Mar 2015 to 10 Mar 2015 (#2015-19)

I do not care what the dimwits who wrote the Kansas test say: A is certainly correct; although B is possible, I am a grammar nazi and I would have chosen A.
Prof. Scott Catledge
---- ATEG automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> There are 10 messages totaling 6107 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
>   1. New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources (3)
>   2. Assessment question (5)
>   3. ATEG Digest - 2 Mar 2015 to 9 Mar 2015 (#2015-18)
>   4. Passive-Aggressive Tests
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:33:18 +0000
> From:    "Hancock, Craig G" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
>
>     A search of "according to" in the Corpus of Contemporary American English brings up 96,800 hits. The great majority are from newspapers (30,000+) and academic journals (27,000+). Of the 10,000 or so spoken uses, almost all are from TV news. Only 4,008 hits come from fiction.
>
>     I think we shouldn't expect students to be comfortable using language they are not familiar with. We can blame this on culture and parents or we can address the needs of the real students who come to us. The most important part of that, by far, is that they need to develop ways to attribute ideas, information, and perspectives to people other than themselves. And they need to be able to distinguish the views of an author from the views they may be skeptical about or in disagreement with. They certainly come to college with little practice in doing that.
>
>     I have found that a corpus search is a highly engaging and useful classroom exercise. If you have a smart classroom, it's easy. Students get a chance to expore ways in which "according to" is used in practice.
>
>
> Craig
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Prof. Richard Grant WAU <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 10:35 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
>
> Hi Janet,
>
> If the construction in your example sentence isn’t ringing any ‘form’ bells in your students’ ears, perhaps you could try presenting some alternative patterns for your students to use as models.
>
> Examples:
>
>
> According to               [author’s]      [type of source]                            [name of source],                           [main idea.]
>
> According to        Jesse Wegman’s          article,                “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> According to           [name of source,]                                              [type of source]         by      [author/writer]           [main idea.]
>
> According to           “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”              an article                  by       Jesse Wegman,          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> *[author’s]                      [type of source,]           [name of source]                                              [predicate]
>
> Jesse Wegman’s         article,                              “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”        explains people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> The third possibility is unlike the first and second because it starts with a subject, but its style may be what your students are subconsciously attempting to replicate.
>
> In addition to helping students contextualize sources,  I’d also be working on essentials for writing clearly and more effectively in general:
>
>
> ·         I’d teach students to identify a sentence’s subject and predicate (subjects can always be replaced with a subject pronoun)
>
> ·         I’d give students a list of common prepositions/phrasal prepositions and practice identifying them
>
> ·         I’d teach them the questions that adverbials answer (prepositional phrases frequently function adverbially)
>
> ·         I’d work with them to show how prepositional phrases can be moved around in the sentence (beginning, middle, end) to highlight information
>
> ·         I’d help them understand the subject of a sentence isn’t found in a prepositional phrase
>
> Then, their own names and ‘sources,’ I’d let them play with the language, coming up with different ways to say the same thing and noting how the different arrangements highlight different ideas.
>
> I don’t know what language background(s) your students have, but I work with several student populations from a variety of language backgrounds and proficiencies: students in ESL, ‘Basic’ English, traditional first-year composition courses, and Honors Rhetoric. I’ve had very good success with all those groups by raising their grammatical awareness and putting it to very practical use in their writing.
>
> I hope you are able to find ways to help your students as you’d like to.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 7:04 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: New topic
>
> Hello
>
> I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
>
> “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
>
> I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Janet Castilleja
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
> You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> Keep in touch!
>
>
> Linda
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401
>
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
>
> One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
>
> Linda Comerford
> Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
>
> From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
> Hi Linda.
>
> The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
>
> There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
>
> You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
>
> Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
>
> Look forward to meeting you!
>
> Linda Di Desidero
>
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
>
> On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
>
>
>
> If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
>
>
>
> Linda Comerford
> Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
>
> Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com> <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
>
>
>
> From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
>
>
> Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
>
>
>
> We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
>
>
>
> On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
>
>
>
> The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
>
>
>
> In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
>
>
>
> Linda
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
> Herb,
>
>     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
>
>     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
>
>     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
>
>
>
>
>
> Craig
>
>   _____
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> _____
> This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 20:31:31 +0300
> From:    M C Johnstone <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
>
>
> Hi Richard,
>
> Your advice here reminded me of Ed Vavra's KISS method, which I first
> came across on this list many years ago. I believe that Dr Vavra used to
> participate here.
>
> I looked up the structure Janet proposed on Vavra's site and found this
> - See example 7 on the page below
>
> http://www.kissgrammar.org/kiss/wb/G04/Apr/D15/Bluebeard_L4_Gerundives_Punct_AK.html
>
> There is no easy way to explain this, however, I believe that students
> who were accustomed to looking at text the way you and Vavra propose
> would have no problem spotting and correcting this error.
>
> For Janet, maybe the easiest fix is to suggest that students follow the
> standard truncated APA form for this type of citation,
>
> "According to Wegman (2014), people can be put behind bars .... "
>
> Of course, they will not like this if they are also counting words.
>
>
> Mark
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 10, 2015, at 05:35 AM, Prof. Richard Grant WAU wrote:
> > Hi Janet,
>
>
> >
>
>
> > If the construction in your example sentence isn’t ringing any ‘form’
> > bells in your students’ ears, perhaps you could try presenting some
> > alternative patterns for your students to use as models.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Examples:
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > **According to*** [author’s] [type of source] [name of source], [main
> > idea.]***
>
>
> >
>
>
> > According to Jesse Wegman’s article, “The Injustice of Marijuana
> > Arrests,” people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > **According to*** [name of source,] [type of source] *by*
> > [author/writer] [main idea.]*
>
>
> >
>
>
> > According to “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,” an article by Jesse
> > Wegman, people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > **[author’s] [type of source,] [name of source] [predicate]*
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Jesse Wegman’s article, “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,” explains
> > people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > The third possibility is unlike the first and second because it starts
> > with a subject, but its style may be what your students are
> > subconsciously attempting to replicate.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > In addition to helping students contextualize sources, I’d also be
> > working on essentials for writing clearly and more effectively in
> > general:
>
>
> >
>
>
> > ·I’d teach students to identify a sentence’s subject and predicate
> > (subjects can always be replaced with a subject pronoun)
>
>
> > ·I’d give students a list of common prepositions/phrasal prepositions
> > and practice identifying them
>
>
> > ·I’d teach them the questions that adverbials answer (prepositional
> > phrases frequently function adverbially)
>
>
> > ·I’d work with them to show how prepositional phrases can be moved
> > around in the sentence (beginning, middle, end) to highlight
> > information
>
>
> > ·I’d help them understand the subject of a sentence isn’t found in a
> > prepositional phrase
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Then, their own names and ‘sources,’ I’d let them play with the
> > language, coming up with different ways to say the same thing and
> > noting how the different arrangements highlight different ideas.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > I don’t know what language background(s) your students have, but I
> > work with several student populations from a variety of language
> > backgrounds and proficiencies: students in ESL, ‘Basic’ English,
> > traditional first-year composition courses, and Honors Rhetoric. I’ve
> > had very good success with all those groups by raising their
> > grammatical awareness and putting it to very practical use in their
> > writing.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > I hope you are able to find ways to help your students as you’d
> > like to.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Good luck,
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Richard
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > *From:* Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Castilleja, Janet
> > *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 7:04 PM *To:* [log in to unmask]
> > *Subject:* New topic
>
> >
>
>
> > Hello
>
>
> >
>
>
> > I am teaching a composition course in which we use sources. Here is a
> > common problem that I see constantly:
>
>
> >
>
>
> > “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by
> > Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for
> > smoking marijuana.”
>
>
> >
>
>
> > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to
> > include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail. Any
> > suggestions?
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Thanks!
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Janet Castilleja
>
>
> >
>
>
> > *From:* Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Linda Di Desidero
> > *Sent:* Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM *To:*
> > [log in to unmask] *Subject:* Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular +
> > Predicate Adjective
>
> >
>
>
> > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the
> > day of the conference, Linda.
>
>
> > Keep in touch!
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Linda
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
>
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
>
> > Marine Corps University
>
>
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
>
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
>
> > 703-784-4401
>
>
> >
>
>
> > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford
> > <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my
> > about an Indy conference.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > One more question: I’m not a member of CTE. May I still register for
> > the conference? The sessions/panels you described sound interesting,
> > and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at
> > ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > **Linda Comerford Cell: 317.696.4444**
>
> > **Office and Fax: 317.786.6404 [log in to unmask]
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com[1]**
>
> >
>
>
> > *From:* Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *Sent:*
> > Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM *To:* [log in to unmask]
> > *Subject:* Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
> >
>
>
> > Hi Linda.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of
> > the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
>
>
> >
>
>
> > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference;
> > several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest
> > group at CEA)
>
>
> >
>
>
> > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for
> > dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Look forward to meeting you!
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Linda Di Desidero
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
>
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
>
> > Marine Corps University
>
>
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
>
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
>
> > 703-784-4401
>
>
> >
>
>
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford
> > <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I
> > believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end
> > of March? I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing
> > some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> >
> >
> >
> > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d
> > appreciate it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford Cell: 317.696.4444
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404 [log in to unmask]
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent:
> > Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that
> > clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> >
> >
> >
> > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the
> > current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as
> > something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we
> > talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state
> > of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that
> > reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it
> > as stative/descriptive.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the other hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> >
> >
> >
> > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> >
> >
> >
> > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as
> > the action that is carried out on it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G
> > <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Herb,
> >
> > I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed.
> > (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and
> > is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but
> > keep the offices open.) "I didn't see who actually fired the shot
> > because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open
> > in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems
> > awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we
> > would probably say "wide open."
> >
> > You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed
> > the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant.
> > The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who
> > closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of
> > "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We
> > also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> >
> > I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible
> > job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions
> > that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach
> > that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift
> > category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like
> > furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at
> > language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Craig
> >
> > _____
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar To join or leave
> > this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or
> > leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> >
>
>
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
> > interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
> > "Join or leave the list"
>
>
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
> > interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
> > "Join or leave the list"
>
>
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
> >
>
>
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
> > interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
> > "Join or leave the list"
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>
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
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>
> >
> > _____
> > This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
>
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
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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:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or
>      leave the list"
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
> --
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> Links:
>
>   1. http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:06:01 -0500
> From:    Shana Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Assessment question
>
> Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state assessment question.
>
> Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.
>
> Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?
>
> A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)
>
> B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct answer)
>
> C. shooting star was spotted by her
>
> D. a shooting star was wished upon by her
>
>
>
> Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the student.
>
> Shana
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 18:46:27 +0000
> From:    Beth Young <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Assessment question
>
> Honestly, I can't see any reason for the student's answer to be marked wrong, or any reason to prefer the "correct" answer.

Beth

________________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Shana Schmidt [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Assessment question

Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state assessment question.

Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.

Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?

A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)

B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct answer)

C. shooting star was spotted by her

D. a shooting star was wished upon by her



Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the student.

Shana



Sent from my iPad
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/

> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 18:47:51 +0000
> From:    "Hancock, Craig G" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Assessment question
>
> The student had the correct answer. C and D are very unlikely sentences  because they end in pronouns (unstessed and unimportant information.) B is a nice example of a thoughtful passive. A is the only active voice version.
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Shana Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:06 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Assessment question
>
> Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state assessment question.
>
> Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.
>
> Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?
>
> A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)
>
> B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct answer)
>
> C. shooting star was spotted by her
>
> D. a shooting star was wished upon by her
>
>
>
> Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the student.
>
> Shana
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 21:22:11 +0000
> From:    Scott Catledge <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: ATEG Digest - 2 Mar 2015 to 9 Mar 2015 (#2015-18)
>
> When I taught grammar at the university level, I required my students to diagram any questionable sentence.  After week one, I had no such sentences as your example.  My students confessed that they had begun diagramming all sentences they wrote in their homework.
> Prof. Scott Catledge
> ---- ATEG automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > There are 5 messages totaling 3130 lines in this issue.
> >
> > Topics of the day:
> >
> >   1. New topic (4)
> >   2. New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 2015 23:04:10 +0000
> > From:    "Castilleja, Janet" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: New topic
> >
> > Hello
> >
> > I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
> >
> > “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
> >
> > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Janet Castilleja
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> > Keep in touch!
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
> >
> > One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > Hi Linda.
> >
> > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
> >
> > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
> >
> > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
> >
> > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
> >
> > Look forward to meeting you!
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> >
> >
> >
> > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com> <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> >
> >
> >
> > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> >
> >
> >
> > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> >
> >
> >
> > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> >
> > Herb,
> >
> >     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
> >
> >     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> >
> >     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Craig
> >
> >   _____
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://a
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 2015 23:17:15 +0000
> > From:    "Carlton, Rebecca" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: New topic
> >
> > Do you feel they aren’t making the change because they don’t a subject is required or because the grammar/mechanics portion of the grade isn’t a large portion of the grade?
> >
> > Rebecca Carlton
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> > Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 7:04 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: New topic
> >
> > Hello
> >
> > I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
> >
> > “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
> >
> > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Janet Castilleja
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> > Keep in touch!
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
> >
> > One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > Hi Linda.
> >
> > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
> >
> > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
> >
> > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
> >
> > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
> >
> > Look forward to meeting you!
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> >
> >
> >
> > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com> <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> >
> >
> >
> > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> >
> >
> >
> > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> >
> >
> >
> > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> >
> > Herb,
> >
> >     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
> >
> >     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> >
> >     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Craig
> >
> >   _____
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 2015 23:26:48 +0000
> > From:    "Castilleja, Janet" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: New topic
> >
> > I am pretty sure  they think the sentence is complete.  When I put the a sentence like this on the overhead, they can’t tell me what the problem is.  This is true of even the strong students.
> >
> > Janet
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carlton, Rebecca
> > Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 4:17 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: New topic
> >
> > Do you feel they aren’t making the change because they don’t a subject is required or because the grammar/mechanics portion of the grade isn’t a large portion of the grade?
> >
> > Rebecca Carlton
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> > Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 7:04 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: New topic
> >
> > Hello
> >
> > I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
> >
> > “According to the article ‘The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests’ by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
> >
> > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Janet Castilleja
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> > Keep in touch!
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
> >
> > One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> > Hi Linda.
> >
> > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
> >
> > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
> >
> > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
> >
> > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
> >
> > Look forward to meeting you!
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> >
> >
> >
> > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444<tel:317.696.4444>
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404<tel:317.786.6404>
> > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com<http://www.comerfordconsulting.com> <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> >
> >
> >
> > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> >
> >
> >
> > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> >
> >
> >
> > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401<tel:703-784-4401>
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> >
> > Herb,
> >
> >     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
> >
> >     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> >
> >     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Craig
> >
> >   _____
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 2015 17:08:58 -0700
> > From:    Karl Hagen <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: New topic
> >
> > Even strong students may well lack the grammatical foundation to declare _what_ is wrong. A better starting point would simply be to try to get them to feel intuitively _that_ something is wrong. In such cases, I like to present them with simple version of the sentence, because in such cases, a large part of the issue may be that they get lost in the complexity of the sentence opener. I suspect if you showed them a sentence like "According to Wegman explains that people can be put behind bars" they might better be able to see the problem.
> >
> > > On Mar 9, 2015, at 4:26 PM, Castilleja, Janet <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > >
> > > I am pretty sure  they think the sentence is complete.  When I put the a sentence like this on the overhead, they can’t tell me what the problem is.  This is true of even the strong students.
> > >
> > > Janet
> > >
> > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carlton, Rebecca
> > > Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 4:17 PM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: New topic
> > >
> > > Do you feel they aren’t making the change because they don’t a subject is required or because the grammar/mechanics portion of the grade isn’t a large portion of the grade?
> > >
> > > Rebecca Carlton
> > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> > > Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 7:04 PM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: New topic
> > >
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
> > >
> > > “According to the article ‘The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests’ by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
> > >
> > > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > Janet Castilleja
> > >
> > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> > >
> > > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> > > Keep in touch!
> > >
> > >
> > > Linda
> > >
> > > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> > > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> > > Marine Corps University
> > > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> > > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> > > 703-784-4401
> > >
> > > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
> > >
> > > One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
> > >
> > > Linda Comerford
> > > Cell: 317.696.4444
> > > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > www.comerfordconsulting.com
> > >
> > > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> > >
> > > Hi Linda.
> > >
> > > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
> > >
> > > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
> > >
> > > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
> > >
> > > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
> > >
> > > Look forward to meeting you!
> > >
> > > Linda Di Desidero
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> > > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> > > Marine Corps University
> > > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> > > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> > > 703-784-4401
> > >
> > > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Linda Comerford
> > > Cell: 317.696.4444
> > >
> > > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Linda
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> > >
> > > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> > >
> > > Marine Corps University
> > >
> > > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> > >
> > > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> > >
> > > 703-784-4401
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > >
> > > Herb,
> > >
> > >     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
> > >
> > >     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> > >
> > >     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Craig
> > >
> > >   _____
> > >
> > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> > >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > > and select "Join or leave the list"
> > >
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> > >
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 2015 22:35:19 -0400
> > From:    "Prof. Richard Grant WAU" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
> >
> > Hi Janet,
> >
> >
> >
> > If the construction in your example sentence isn’t ringing any ‘form’ bells in your students’ ears, perhaps you could try presenting some alternative patterns for your students to use as models.
> >
> >
> >
> > Examples:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > According to               [author’s]      [type of source]                            [name of source],                           [main idea.]
> >
> >
> >
> > According to        Jesse Wegman’s          article,                “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > According to           [name of source,]                                              [type of source]         by      [author/writer]           [main idea.]
> >
> >
> >
> > According to           “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”              an article                  by       Jesse Wegman,          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *[author’s]                      [type of source,]           [name of source]                                              [predicate]
> >
> >
> >
> > Jesse Wegman’s         article,                              “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”        explains people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The third possibility is unlike the first and second because it starts with a subject, but its style may be what your students are subconsciously attempting to replicate.
> >
> >
> >
> > In addition to helping students contextualize sources,  I’d also be working on essentials for writing clearly and more effectively in general:
> >
> >
> >
> > ·         I’d teach students to identify a sentence’s subject and predicate (subjects can always be replaced with a subject pronoun)
> >
> > ·         I’d give students a list of common prepositions/phrasal prepositions and practice identifying them
> >
> > ·         I’d teach them the questions that adverbials answer (prepositional phrases frequently function adverbially)
> >
> > ·         I’d work with them to show how prepositional phrases can be moved around in the sentence (beginning, middle, end) to highlight information
> >
> > ·         I’d help them understand the subject of a sentence isn’t found in a prepositional phrase
> >
> >
> >
> > Then, their own names and ‘sources,’ I’d let them play with the language, coming up with different ways to say the same thing and noting how the different arrangements highlight different ideas.
> >
> >
> >
> > I don’t know what language background(s) your students have, but I work with several student populations from a variety of language backgrounds and proficiencies: students in ESL, ‘Basic’ English, traditional first-year composition courses, and Honors Rhetoric. I’ve had very good success with all those groups by raising their grammatical awareness and putting it to very practical use in their writing.
> >
> >
> >
> > I hope you are able to find ways to help your students as you’d like to.
> >
> >
> >
> > Good luck,
> >
> >
> >
> > Richard
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> > Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 7:04 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: New topic
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello
> >
> >
> >
> > I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
> >
> >
> >
> > “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
> >
> >
> >
> > I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> >
> > Janet Castilleja
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
> >
> > Keep in touch!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
> >
> >
> >
> > One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> > [log in to unmask]
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi Linda.
> >
> >
> >
> > The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
> >
> >
> >
> > There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
> >
> >
> >
> > You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
> >
> >
> >
> > Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
> >
> >
> >
> > Look forward to meeting you!
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
> >
> >
> >
> > If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Comerford
> > Cell: 317.696.4444
> >
> > Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> > [log in to unmask]
> > www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
> >
> >
> >
> > Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
> >
> >
> >
> > We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
> >
> >
> >
> > The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
> >
> >
> >
> > In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Di Desidero, PhD
> >
> > Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
> >
> > Marine Corps University
> >
> > Gray Research Center, Room 122
> >
> > Quantico, Virginia 22134
> >
> > 703-784-4401
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Herb,
> >
> >     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
> >
> >     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
> >
> >     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Craig
> >
> >   _____
> >
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> >
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> >
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> >
> > _____
> > This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> >
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > End of ATEG Digest - 2 Mar 2015 to 9 Mar 2015 (#2015-18)
> > ********************************************************
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 21:38:41 +0000
> From:    "Castilleja, Janet" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Assessment question
>
> Hi
>
> As nearly as I can tell, the sentence marked as correct by the test maker is actually in the passive voice.  The answer the student chose is in the active voice and so should be marked correct.  What I think this illustrates is the general futility in trying to enforce a blanket ban on the use of the passive.  Like every other construction, passives can be misused, but that doesn't mean there is no use for them. Most of the what I see written about the passive for the general public seems to be not just wrong but wrong-headed.
>
> Janet
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Beth Young
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 11:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Assessment question
>
> Honestly, I can't see any reason for the student's answer to be marked wrong, or any reason to prefer the "correct" answer.
>
> Beth
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Shana Schmidt [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:06 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Assessment question
>
> Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state assessment question.
>
> Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.
>
> Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?
>
> A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)
>
> B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct answer)
>
> C. shooting star was spotted by her
>
> D. a shooting star was wished upon by her
>
>
>
> Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the student.
>
> Shana
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:47:03 -0400
> From:    "Prof. Richard Grant WAU" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
>
> Hi Mark,
>
>
>
> Thanks for your post. I must say, except for a concert I attended back in 1977, I’ve never been associated in any way with KISS. Based on the interesting link you sent, I can nonetheless see how you’d make the connection.
>
>
>
> To an extent, I’m a fan of the solution you offered: it’s simplicity and effectiveness in meeting Janet’s challenge is undeniable. A potential problem with what I proposed is its visual complexity. And, in fact, in my first-year college writing classroom, I’ve never used those kinds of formulaic models. I’m actually much more non-linear in my thinking, which is probably why I even suggested that approach.
>
>
>
> Yet, despite my personal preferences and instructional choices, it’s possible that such a plug-and-play approach might be more helpful for some. For students who may tend to be more linear in their thinking—think mathematicians, chemists, computer programmers, etc.—such formulas might be a helpful, especially for non-native speakers unaware of the numerous linguistic options they have.
>
>
>
> The bigger concern I think we all face, beyond the conundrum that Janet identified, is how our students who display limited language skills will be disadvantaged beyond the classroom environment.
>
> When I dwell on that, I cannot content myself with the quick-and-easy solution because taking that approach will do nothing but get students through this present and narrow challenge; it won’t help them build a stronger foundation of knowledge and skills to help them deal with the bigger problems they will encounter.
>
>
>
> The short-cut is a good start, but in the long run, I don’t think it’s enough.
>
>
>
> Attached files cannot be sent in this forum, but if anyone is interested, I’ll send you a PDF file of Chapter 1 from the eighth edition of Max Morenberg and Jeff Sommers’ The Writer’s Options—Lessons in Style and Arrangement (2008) . If you can get past the artificial character constructs—and it’s worth doing so—the book has a wealth of useful techniques for improving one’s writing. Practicing sentence- combining activities such as the one introduced by ‘the professor’ and doing the exercises at the end of the chapter are good ways to help our students realize that they may have a lot of options they haven’t thought about.
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of M C Johnstone
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 1:32 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: New topic - Helping Students Document Their Sources
>
>
>
> Hi Richard,
>
>
>
> Your advice here reminded me of Ed Vavra's KISS method, which I first came across on this list many years ago. I believe that Dr Vavra used to participate here.
>
>
>
> I looked up the structure Janet proposed on Vavra's site and found this - See example 7 on the page below
>
>
>
> http://www.kissgrammar.org/kiss/wb/G04/Apr/D15/Bluebeard_L4_Gerundives_Punct_AK.html
>
>
>
> There is no easy way to explain this, however, I believe that students who were accustomed to looking at text the way you and Vavra propose would have no problem spotting and correcting this error.
>
>
>
> For Janet, maybe the easiest fix is to suggest that students follow the standard truncated APA form for this type of citation,
>
>
>
> "According to Wegman (2014), people can be put behind bars ....  "
>
>
>
> Of course, they will not like this if they are also counting words.
>
>
>
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 10, 2015, at 05:35 AM, Prof. Richard Grant WAU wrote:
>
> Hi Janet,
>
>
>
> If the construction in your example sentence isn’t ringing any ‘form’ bells in your students’ ears, perhaps you could try presenting some alternative patterns for your students to use as models.
>
>
>
> Examples:
>
>
>
>
>
> According to               [author’s]      [type of source]                            [name of source],                           [main idea.]
>
>
>
> According to        Jesse Wegman’s          article,                “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
>
>
>
> According to           [name of source,]                                              [type of source]         by      [author/writer]           [main idea.]
>
>
>
> According to           “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”              an article                  by       Jesse Wegman,          people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
>
>
>
> *[author’s]                      [type of source,]           [name of source]                                              [predicate]
>
>
>
> Jesse Wegman’s         article,                              “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests,”        explains people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.
>
>
>
>
>
> The third possibility is unlike the first and second because it starts with a subject, but its style may be what your students are subconsciously attempting to replicate.
>
>
>
> In addition to helping students contextualize sources,  I’d also be working on essentials for writing clearly and more effectively in general:
>
>
>
> ·I’d teach students to identify a sentence’s subject and predicate (subjects can always be replaced with a subject pronoun)
>
> ·I’d give students a list of common prepositions/phrasal prepositions and practice identifying them
>
> ·I’d teach them the questions that adverbials answer (prepositional phrases frequently function adverbially)
>
> ·I’d work with them to show how prepositional phrases can be moved around in the sentence (beginning, middle, end) to highlight information
>
> ·I’d help them understand the subject of a sentence isn’t found in a prepositional phrase
>
>
>
> Then, their own names and ‘sources,’ I’d let them play with the language, coming up with different ways to say the same thing and noting how the different arrangements highlight different ideas.
>
>
>
> I don’t know what language background(s) your students have, but I work with several student populations from a variety of language backgrounds and proficiencies: students in ESL, ‘Basic’ English, traditional first-year composition courses, and Honors Rhetoric. I’ve had very good success with all those groups by raising their grammatical awareness and putting it to very practical use in their writing.
>
>
>
> I hope you are able to find ways to help your students as you’d like to.
>
>
>
> Good luck,
>
>
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet
> Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 7:04 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: New topic
>
>
>
> Hello
>
>
>
> I am teaching  a composition course in which we use sources.  Here is a common problem that I see constantly:
>
>
>
> “According to the article “The Injustice of Marijuana Arrests” by Jesse Wegman (2014) explains that people can be put behind bars for smoking marijuana.”
>
>
>
> I have tried everything I can think of to persuade my students to include a subject in a sentence like this, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Janet Castilleja
>
>
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Di Desidero
> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:43 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
>
>
> You can register at the website or you can register in person on the day of the conference, Linda.
>
> Keep in touch!
>
>
>
>
>
> Linda
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401
>
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the helpful information from both of you who replied to my about an Indy conference.
>
>
>
> One more question:  I’m not a member of CTE.  May I still register for the conference?  The sessions/panels you described sound interesting, and I’d enjoy finally meeting some of you in person after years at ATEG-listserv-only interactions.
>
>
>
> Linda Comerford
> Cell: 317.696.4444
>
> Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> [log in to unmask]
> www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
>
>
>
> From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 4:48 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
>
>
> Hi Linda.
>
>
>
> The conference that is in Indianapolis at the end of March is that of the College English Association (26-28 March at the Hyatt Regency)
>
>
>
> There will be four panels in Grammar/Linguistics at the conference; several of these speakers are members of ATEG. (This is a new interest group at CEA)
>
>
>
> You can preview the program at this link http://www.cea-web.org/
>
>
>
> Let me know when you can be there and we'll set up a grammar group for dinner (maybe Thursday eve?)
>
>
>
> Look forward to meeting you!
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Linda Comerford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Changing subjects, am I writing to the correct people about what I believe is an upcoming grammar conference in Indianapolis at the end of March?  I’m interested in both attending it as well as providing some guidance about Indy as I live there.
>
>
>
> If anyone knows anything about this and can provide some details, I’d appreciate it.
>
>
>
> Linda Comerford
> Cell: 317.696.4444
>
> Office and Fax: 317.786.6404
> [log in to unmask]
> www.comerfordconsulting.com <http://www.comerfordconsulting.com/>
>
>
>
> From: Linda Di Desidero [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:32 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Passive Voice vs. Copular + Predicate Adjective
>
>
>
> Just two more cents toward Herb's suggestion about stativity, as that clearly seems to be the key to this question:
>
>
>
> We think of something being closed as an adjective that describes the current state or condition of the thing. We do not think of it as something that has happened or been done to the thing. Even when we talk of something as partially closed, we are referring to the state of the object, not to what has been done to the object. For that reason, viewing "X is closed" as passive seems odd. Better to view it as stative/descriptive.
>
>
>
> On the other  hand, if you add an agent, the passive view emerges:
>
>
>
> The window is closed by me every Wednesday at 2 pm.
>
>
>
> In this case, I am not referring to the state of the window so much as the action that is carried out on it.
>
>
>
> Linda
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Linda Di Desidero, PhD
>
> Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center
>
> Marine Corps University
>
> Gray Research Center, Room 122
>
> Quantico, Virginia 22134
>
> 703-784-4401
>
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM, Hancock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Herb,
>
>     I think we can say that something is "partly" or "partially" closed. (window, door, bridge.) My university sometimes "partially closes" and is therefore "partially closed" as a result. (They cancel classes but keep the offices open.)  "I didn't see who actually fired the shot because the door was partially closed." We can use "very" before open in some contexts ("He had a very open personality"), but it seems awkward to me in others. ("The window was very open" *?) I think we would probably say "wide open."
>
>     You could explain it also as a question of "construal." Someone closed the port, but for a boat approaching from sea, that may be irrelevant. The child who wants to know if he has a snow day doesn't care who closed the school. And, of course, the TV station will give a list of "school closings," which construes the whole action as a "thing." We also have "the close of the show" as an option.
>
>     I vote for teaching about prototypes early and often. We do a terrible job with parts of speech in our schools. Students memorize definitions that are close to worthless in application. Certainly, we should teach that the boundaries are not rigid or fixed and that words shift category routinely. Students recognize prototypes for things like furniture or fruit. My experience has been that they enjoy looking at language that way, not least of all because it seems to fit.
>
>
>
>
>
> Craig
>
>   _____
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
> _____
> This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
>
> --
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> _____
> This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 14:55:17 -0700
> From:    Karl Hagen <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Assessment question
>
> I agree with the others. A is unambiguously correct. Don't overlook the possibility that his is a simple key error rather than a case of the test developer actually not knowing the difference. Key errors happen more than you might think, especially in practice material, which is usually edited much less carefully than production test forms.
>
>
> > On Mar 10, 2015, at 2:38 PM, Castilleja, Janet <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Hi
> >
> > As nearly as I can tell, the sentence marked as correct by the test maker is actually in the passive voice.  The answer the student chose is in the active voice and so should be marked correct.  What I think this illustrates is the general futility in trying to enforce a blanket ban on the use of the passive.  Like every other construction, passives can be misused, but that doesn't mean there is no use for them. Most of the what I see written about the passive for the general public seems to be not just wrong but wrong-headed.
> >
> > Janet
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Beth Young
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 11:46 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Assessment question
> >
> > Honestly, I can't see any reason for the student's answer to be marked wrong, or any reason to prefer the "correct" answer.
> >
> > Beth
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Shana Schmidt [[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:06 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Assessment question
> >
> > Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state assessment question.
> >
> > Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.
> >
> > Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?
> >
> > A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)
> >
> > B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct answer)
> >
> > C. shooting star was spotted by her
> >
> > D. a shooting star was wished upon by her
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the student.
> >
> > Shana
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
> >     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > 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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> > and select "Join or leave the list"
> >
> > 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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> > 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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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:57:02 -0400
> From:    "Prof. Richard Grant WAU" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Passive-Aggressive Tests
>
> Hello Shana,
>
> I'll simply add my voice to the chorus of accurate answers that has already
> been sung.
>
> Either someone devising the test doesn't understand how active and passive
> sentences work, or they simply made an error. I'm hoping for the latter.
>
> Perhaps someday (we can always dream), tests such as this will ask students
> something more meaningful, such as what the advantages of both the active
> and passive voice are rather than reinforcing misguided mantras such as
> 'Always use the passive voice.'
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Shana Schmidt
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:06 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Assessment question
>
> Please help us settle a debate about this sample 8th grade Kansas state
> assessment question.
>
> Rosa was admiring the moon when ____________.
>
> Which of the following completes the sentence in the active voice?
>
> A. she spotted a shooting star (this what student selected)
>
> B. she was surprised by a shooting star (this is marked as the correct
> answer)
>
> C. shooting star was spotted by her
>
> D. a shooting star was wished upon by her
>
>
>
> Thanks for your help on settling this debate so we can explain to the
> student.
>
> Shana
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface
> at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
> and select "Join or leave the list"
>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> _____
> This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System.
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
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>
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of ATEG Digest - 9 Mar 2015 to 10 Mar 2015 (#2015-19)
> *********************************************************

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