Johanna asked me to post the following to the list: --- Johanna Rubba <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: Johanna Rubba <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: The role of English teachers > Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:38:18 -0700 > To: "Paul E. Doniger" <[log in to unmask]> > > Paul, I still can't post. Post for me? > > In response to Phil Bralich: > > The first thing that has to go is the idea that there is “English” -- > that is, that only one set of grammar rules describes the entity called > “English”. “The English language” is a set of dialects, each dialect > having a set of registers. Each dialect has its own set of grammar > rules and its own ways of varying by register. > > Still, there are some notions in current K-12 grammar books that have > to be either replaced or refined, even for a correct description of > "proper English": > > - Pronouns replace nouns > - Present tense means present moment (for all verbs) > - There are eight parts of speech > - The subject is the doer of the verb’s action > - The subject is “what the sentence is about” > - A sentence is a “complete thought” > - “Very” is an adverb > - “Diamond” in “diamond ring” is an adjective > > I could go on, but given Phil’s responses to past posts on this matter, > I won’t take the time. > > Dr. Johanna Rubba, Associate Professor, Linguistics > Linguistics Minor Advisor > English Department > California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > Tel.: 805.756.2184 > Dept. Ofc. Tel.: 805.756.2596 > Dept. Fax: 805.756.6374 > URL: http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba 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/