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/