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It's one of the incorrect parts. There's also a comma missing toward the end
of the sentence. It should separate the parenthetical comment-waiting for
his daughter-from the floor. As it is currently written, the punctuation
implies that it is the floor waiting for his daughter. While it is true that
many fathers have been floored, no floors have been fathered. 

 

And then there is the issue of style.

 

John, couldn't agree with you more about the pseudo-academic nature of this.

 

Would sentence #4 be correct if "It's" were chosen? What about the missing
commas to separate the three items in the list?

 

Richard

 

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carlton, Rebecca
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 10:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What's Wrong with This Picture?

 

I had the same thought.   At first, I thought the comma after "worried" was
the incorrect part.

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of helene hoover
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 10:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What's Wrong with This Picture?

 

That was precisely what I thought, too--either his nerves were frayed or,
possibly, his appearance--hair mussed, clothes wrinkled--just a vague
picture in my mind! 
 
Helene
 

  _____  

Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:20:15 -0400
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What's Wrong with This Picture?
To: [log in to unmask]

Just to jump on the band wagon. 

 

I rather like 

5. Worried, and frayed, the old man paced the floor waiting for his
daughter.

 

My automatic reading was that the old man's nerves were frayed. Shows my
age, I suppose, as this is also likely something that no young person would
ever think or write!

 

Best, 

 

D

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Melinda Schwenk-Borrell
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What's Wrong with This Picture?

 

Good points on the questions, which are also vaguely worded and hard to
understand.  They are also sentences that no young person would ever think
or write!  
 
Melinda Borrell

Adjunct Professor of Communication, UMUC

  _____  

From: "John Crow" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 7:55:47 AM
Subject: What's Wrong with This Picture?

I was reading an article in the NCLE SmartBrief about research that
purported to establish a link between texting and grammar skills.  The
researchers concluded that the more students text, the weaker their grammar
skills are.  A link in the article took me to an article in the L.A. Times
with more details, including this little gem, and I quote:
The researchers had kids from ages 10 to 14 take a little grammar test. And
it turned out that those who sent or received texts recently performed worse
on the exam. Here's a sample of the questions, so you can test yourself --
or your kids -- to see how the text saturation has affected your grammar. 
1. During the flood, we (dranked, drank, drunk, drunked) bottled water.
2. Fortunately, Jim's name was (accepted, excepted) from the roster of those
who
would have to clean bathrooms because he was supposed to go downtown to
(accept, except) a reward for the German Club.
3. I don't know how I could (lose, loose) such a big dress. It is so large
that it is
(lose, loose) on me when I wear it!
4. (Its, It's, Its') an honor to accept the awards certificates and medals
presented to
the club.
5. Worried, and frayed, the old man paced the floor waiting for his
daughter.
(Correct/Incorrect)

The answers: 1. drank; 2. excepted, accept; 3. lose, loose; 4. It's; 5.
incorrect (it should be "afraid"). 
(Source:
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-texting-ruining-kids-gra
mmar-skills-20120801,0,1365582.story
<http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-texting-ruining-kids-gr
ammar-skills-20120801%2c0%2c1365582.story> )

Really?!  Three out of the five sample questions have nothing to do with
grammar--they are spelling issues.  Furthermore, as any basic course in
statistics will emphasize, one cannot infer causality from correlations.  If
this is the kind of research that is informing our educators, God help us!

John

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