Please do! And good luck with it.
Herb
Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of English
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
[log in to unmask]
________________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan van Druten [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: April 4, 2009 7:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: syntax in a legal document
Thanks, Herb, this is just enough wiggle-room. I assume I may quote
you and use your impressive credentials.
Susan
On Apr 4, 2009, at 6:36 PM, STAHLKE, HERBERT F wrote:
> I would say that as written it is ambiguous. The question is the
> scope of the modifier, and the sentence could be interpreted so as
> to put each verb phrase into the scope of the modifier. It isn't
> customary to set off a postposed prepositional phrase modifier with
> a comma, and so it can be interpreted as specific to that predicate
> or generally as a modifier of all three predicates. It can clearly
> be read aloud either way, and the slight pause if it is interpreted
> as a sentence modifier would not have to be marked by a comma.
>
> Herb
>
> Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
> Emeritus Professor of English
> Ball State University
> Muncie, IN 47306
> [log in to unmask]
> ________________________________________
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan van Druten
> [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: April 4, 2009 7:02 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: syntax in a legal document
>
> Thanks, Herb. I probably should clarify. IEP's are law that are
> written by the special ed teacher. I, the classroom teacher, am
> required to follow the law even though I find it to be immoral as
> it condones cheating and requires me to give my good name to a
> grade that I know was acquired by cheating. I want you to find the
> original IEP to be ambiguous.
>
> So here's my question: as written is the originally-worded
> statement from the IEP ambiguous enough for a smart lawyer on my
> behalf to argue that I, the classroom teacher, can use my
> discretion about not allowing a test to be given in the special ed
> resource room? Or am I required by law to let my test be
> administered by the special ed teacher (who will let my student
> cheat)?
>
> My district may be forced to fire me for breaking the law because I
> did not allow the test to be taken in the resource room last Friday
> when directly told to do so by my principal. I would like to use
> the vagueness of the IEP (written by the special ed teacher) as my
> defense.
>
> I'd like to hear the grammar experts' responses.
>
> Don't worry, I have many other defenses. I just want your take on
> the syntax issue.
>
> Susan
>
> On Apr 4, 2009, at 4:11 PM, STAHLKE, HERBERT F wrote:
>
> To make it unambiguous, I think you'd want to put "per teacher
> discretion" at the beginning of the sentence. Then it would
> clearly modify all three verb phrases. It's too easy to interpret
> the phrase as restricted to the last conjunct if it's at the end.
>
> Herb
>
> Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
> Emeritus Professor of English
> Ball State University
> Muncie, IN 47306
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> ________________________________________
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] On
> Behalf Of Susan van Druten
> [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> Sent: April 4, 2009 3:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: syntax in a legal document
>
> The IEP reads as follows: "He may take tests in the resource room,
> have extended time to complete them, and they may be open book per
> teacher discreation [sic]." Is there any way the per teacher
> discretion line could be seen as modifying the entire sentence?
>
> I am the teacher who must give my tests to the special ed teacher
> who lets the students cheat on tests. I'm looking for a loophole,
> so the IEP will have to be rewritten.
>
> Thanks for any help!
> Susan
> 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/
|
